SORS Sounding Rocket System
DELTAV Space Technologies
DeltaV Space Technologies' hybrid-propulsion sounding rocket — Turkey's first vehicle to exceed 200 km altitude and achieve in-space engine ignition.
Technical specifications
- Propulsion type
- Hybrid (solid fuel + liquid oxidizer)
- Max altitude achieved
- >200 km (June 2025)
- Key achievement
- First hybrid propulsion in-space ignition; first Turkish rocket >200 km
- Country
- Turkey
- Operator
- DeltaV Space Technologies (subsidiary of SSB)
About
SORS (Sounding Rocket System) is DeltaV Space Technologies’ hybrid-propulsion sounding rocket, developed as part of Turkey’s national space program. The vehicle uses DeltaV’s proprietary hybrid rocket engine combining solid fuel with a liquid oxidizer, providing throttleability and restart capability not available in pure solid rockets.
SORS achieved a major milestone in June 2025, surpassing 200 km altitude during a test flight — the first Turkish sounding rocket to reach this altitude. During the same mission, DeltaV achieved the first in-space ignition of a hybrid propulsion system in vacuum conditions, validating the upper-stage engine restart capability critical for multi-burn orbital missions. An earlier flight had surpassed 100 km (the Kármán line).
DeltaV Space Technologies is a subsidiary of Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), headquartered in Pendik, Istanbul. The company supplies propulsion systems to satellite developers including Fergani Space and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and is developing a hybrid propulsion system for Turkey’s Lunar Hard Landing Mission (AYAP) under the Turkish National Space Program.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.