25 01 2009 - 2012, launch of the first Turkish military satellite

Telespazio company (Rome), subsidiary of the Group Finmeccanica (Milan) / Thales (Toulouse), specialized in the observation of the ground by satellite and navigation, gained the contract of manufacture of a spy satellite ordered by the Turkish Ministry of Defense (MOD).

In spite of the reserves of the Turkish government to entrust the project to a company with French participation, because adoption by the National Assembly of the bill penalizing of the Armenian Genocide negation (2006), the development of the Gokturk satellite returns in Telespazio and Thales Aliena Space. According to officials from Turkish Ministry, Telespazio was preferred at Thales because of the Turkish resentment on the decisions of the French Parliament.

First Turkish military satellite, Göktürk-1 will receive high-definition optical systems with a ground observation oscillating between 2,50 m and 80 cm since an orbit located at 700 kms of altitude.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense does not hide its intention to fight against terrorism by the means of this satellite, which will see also its qualities used in the civil monitoring of the activities such as the control of the forest grounds, the follow-up of illegal construction, etc, without any geographical restriction declared Murad Bayar, under-secretary of defense industries. The satellite should be put into orbit in 2012.

Jean Eckian