First "all Turkish" satellite launched

Turkey has launched its first observation satellite to have been designed and manufactured wholly by Turkish engineers and technicians. The satellite is part of the planned self-sufficiency in Turkey’s military and developmental industries, officials said.

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey’s Space Technologies Research Institute (TÜBITAK-UZAY) manufactured the RASAT satellite as part of a governmental project, funded by the State Planning Organization, to develop space research. According to the Turkish media, RASAT was launched on Sunday, 21 August from the Yasny launch site in south-western Russia near the border with Kazakhstan.

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The first Turkish-built spacecraft weighs around 100 kilograms and is set to operate for three years. It will capture highly accurate images to be used for urban planning, forestry and agricultural purposes, and crisis management.

Ankara has announced on a number of occasions that its plan is to be self-sufficient in military and development matters will allow Turkey to move away from dependency on bilateral cooperation agreements with other countries, including those with Israel.