Developed entirely with national resources by Fergani Space, Turkey’s first orbital transfer vehicle, FGN-TUG-S01, has successfully completed its most critical maneuver in space. The national YTA successfully completed an orbital change by firing its hybrid engine in space, marking a world first.

Fergani Space Technologies, founded by Baykar Chairman and Technology Leader Selçuk Bayraktar, made space aviation history with FGN-TUG-S01, the first Orbital Transfer Vehicle (YTA) developed entirely with national resources. Launched into space on November 28, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-15 mission, the national YTA successfully completed its historic firing operation following in-orbit preparations.

A WORLD FIRST: HYBRID MOTOR OPERATION SUCCESSFUL

FGN-TUG-S01 activated its main hybrid propulsion system on the morning of December 6, 2025, at 7:46 a.m. Turkish time (GMT+3). The firing operation, which lasted 35 seconds, was executed flawlessly. With this maneuver, the national YTA departed its circular orbit at an altitude of 530 km and transitioned to an elliptical orbit with an apogee altitude of 720 km. This operation was not only the first space launch operation conducted in space using Turkey’s own hybrid engine technology, but also marked the world’s first orbital launch of a hybrid rocket engine. Hybrid rockets, which offer a safer, simpler, and more cost-effective structure compared to solid- and liquid-fueled engines, are expected to play a critical role in future space operations.

Following the successful completion of the orbital transfer maneuver, the second critical phase of the mission, the cubesat release operation, began. At the end of the process, which began at 11:35 a.m. Turkish time (GMT+3), the Fergani cubesat FRG-10D1 successfully separated from the Orbit Transfer Vehicle and assumed its position in its target orbit at 11:45 a.m. Turkish Time (GMT+3).

This achievement marks a critical milestone for Fergani Space’s future constellation missions operating at various altitudes. FGN-TUG-S01, including its flight computer, avionics systems, power distribution units, and thermal control infrastructure, was entirely domestically designed and produced by Fergani Space engineers. Turkey, by becoming the first country to conduct an in-orbit hybrid engine test, ushered in a new era in space technology.

This successfully completed mission also provides critical infrastructure for the Uluğ Bey Global Positioning System (Uluğ Bey Global Positioning System), which Fergani Space aims to build. Thanks to this technology, Fergani Space will be able to deploy future constellations to different orbits with its own vehicles. Fergani Space, aiming to launch more than 100 satellites into space within the next five years, aims to provide Turkey, along with friendly and sister nations, with independent positioning and space logistics capabilities. Furthermore, with launch systems currently under development, the company aims to provide independent access to space from Earth in the near future.