FGN-TUG-S01, Türkiye’s first indigenously developed orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), has commenced its mission in space. This vehicle is set to make history as it prepares to ignite the world's first hybrid engine in orbit.
Founded by Baykar Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Selçuk Bayraktar, Fergani Space developed the FGN-TUG-S01 entirely using its own resources and indigenous capabilities. The vehicle was successfully launched on November 28, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA.
Indigenous OTV Begins Mission
The mission began aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-15 rideshare launch at 21:44 Turkish time, with a seamless separation of the rocket’s first and second stages. Approximately 81 minutes after payload separation, at 23:05 Turkish time, FGN-TUG-S01 successfully detached from the rocket, officially starting its journey in space. This milestone marks a significant advancement in Fergani Space’s in-space manoeuvring and transportation capabilities.
A World First: Hybrid Engine to be Ignited in Orbit
The indigenous OTV combines two remarkable and unprecedented developments. FGN-TUG-S01, Türkiye’s first-ever orbital transfer vehicle, is powered by the world’s first hybrid rocket engine. After successfully entering its mission orbit, it will ignite its hybrid engine for the first time as planned. This manoeuvre will be the first-ever orbital ignition of a hybrid rocket engine in both Turkish and global space history. With its safe and low-cost hybrid propulsion system, the indigenous OTV will enable satellites to be transported to various orbits, extending their mission life.
Türkiye Makes Its Mark on Inter-Orbital Logistics
FGN-TUG-S01 represents a significant milestone for Fergani Space’s future constellation missions, which will deploy satellites at various altitudes. This indigenous OTV will transport Fergani Space satellites from low altitudes (approximately 500 kilometres) to higher mission altitudes (1000+ kilometres). Key systems on the vehicle, including the flight computer, avionics, power distribution units, and thermal control infrastructure, have all been designed and manufactured by Fergani Space engineers. With this mission, Türkiye becomes the first country to test a hybrid engine in orbit, opening the door to a new era in space technologies.
"OTV to Kick Off Our Space Mobility Capability"
The launch of the indigenous OTV was monitored live from the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Centre by Fergani Space CEO Selçuk Bayraktar and the company’s engineering team. Following the successful launch, Bayraktar stated, “Founded in 2022, Fergani Space continues its work today with a team of 135. Our second satellite recently began its mission, and today, our country’s first orbital transfer vehicle—developed entirely with our own resources—has reached space. We carry out all our projects, from design to engineering and production, using our own capabilities. Our orbital transfer vehicle—an achievement of Turkish engineering, including its flight computer as well as its power and avionics systems—will kick off our nation’s space mobility capability.”
"The Goal: Independent Access to Space"
Emphasising that this mission builds critical infrastructure for the indigenous global positioning system, Uluğbey, Bayraktar outlined his vision for the future: “This mission will establish the infrastructure for the Uluğbey Global Positioning System and pave the way for our satellite fleets in the future. Our goal is to enable Türkiye and its friends to achieve independent positioning and space logistics capabilities within the next five years, with over one hundred satellites. In the coming years, we plan to gain independent access capabilities from Earth to space using the launch systems we are currently developing. May this project be beneficial and auspicious for our homeland, our nation, and all our friends and allies.”
