In order to meet Turkish Air Forces requirements, the Project, called GÖKTÜRK-1 High Resolution Earth Observation Satellite, which has been developed and directed by Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM), will be transferred to TAI – Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. on May 7, 2015.
[SatNews] Earth Observation to assist both Turkish military and civilian purposes is the ambitious goal.
GÖKTÜRK-1’s environmental test campaign will be performed in Space Systems Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) Center. The AIT Center is established in TAI by SSM with contribution of TURKSAT.
On May 7, 2015 at 15:00, at the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation Company TAI’s IDEF’2015 Stand (Hall 5 / 501), live video-streaming of GÖKTÜRK-1 Satellite handling operations from TAI Facilities will be performed with honoring Undersecretariat for Defence Industries Prof. Dr. Ä°smail DEMÄ°R.
The objectives of GOKTURK-1 Program is; to procure a satellite with a E/O payload in order to provide high resolution images from any location in the world for both military and civilian purposes such as forest control, illegal construction, crop management and casualty assessment after natural disasters and to establish an Assembly Integration and Test Center for testing and integrating all type of satellites up to 5 tons in weight.
The contract was signed by the Ministry of National Defense Undersecretariat of Defense Industries, between TELESPAZIO on July 13th 2009.
Under the TELESPAZIO Prime Conractorship, TAI is performing direct participation to specific work packages in France and Italy. TAI is also manufacturing in house some components for the GOKTURK-1 Satellite.
The satellite’s environmental tests including vibration, acoustic, solar array deployment, thermal vacuum, electromagnetic interference/compatibility tests will be performed at TAI AIT Center, by TAI and THALES ALENIA SPACE – France AIT specialists. The satellite will be transported to the launch center from TAI Facilities.
With the GOKTURK-1 Project, not only the national capabilities and resources for the Space systems (such as new technologies, experienced manpower and possession of infrastructure) will be developed however the inland manufactured further National Satellites will also benefit from the Satellite Assembly Integration Test Center of which they have already planned.
Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation (TUSAS) was established on June 28, 1973 under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology in order to reduce the foreign dependency in defense industry in Turkey.
With the decision of meeting the combat aircraft requirement of Turkish Air Force (TurAF) with F-16s, TUSAS Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) was established by Turkish and U.S. partners in 1984 for a period of 25 years with the aim to realize the manufacture, systems integration and flight tests of F-16 that would be delivered to TurAF.
TAI was restructured in the year 2005, just before the 25 years of period came to an end, with the acquisition of foreign shares by Turkish shareholders. Along with this restructuring, TAI and TUSAS have merged under the roof of Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) and have broadened its activities. Today, known as Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) has become Turkey's center of technology in design, development, modernization, manufacturing, integration and life cycle support of integrated aerospace systems, from fixed and rotary wing air platforms to UAVs and satellites.
