Turkey today plans to launch its first high-definition technological advanced spy satellite, which will be sending images to the operation center of the Turkish Air Force.

The satellite is named Göktürk-1 and has been commissioned primary for the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces and secondary for the needs of Civil Protection, municipalities and even cadastre.

Göktürk-1 was manufactured by the companies Telespazio (Italy) and Thales Alenia Space (France) and will be launched into space from French Guiana on Monday afternoon.

Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan, will visit Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) in Ankara, as a guest of the Turkish Air Force to attend the live launch of the Turkish spy satellite.

According to Turkish officials, Göktürk-1 will start sending the first signal 68 minutes after its launch.

The military role of the satellite is to take photos and images from various regions of the Earth and transmit them to the satellite center of the Turkish Air Force. The Turkish press reports that the satellite’s objective is the “targeted update of the Turkish Armed Forces”.

At the same time, it is mentioned that in an emergency it will be able to send images to Civil Protection for natural disasters, as well as inform of various trespasses to the cadastre.

The said satellite will complete its orbit of the Earth every 90 minutes. It is considered  one of the most modern and will have the capability to send photos and pictures in high resolution and sharpness. Information indicates that it is able to record images of the Earth even at distances of half a meter apart.

According to Turkish officials, Göktürk-1 will send at least 60,000 each year to the operation center of the Turkish Air Force. At the same time it will send images, but no details were given as to their duration.

The contract for the construction of the spy satellite was signed in 2009 and the whole project together with the launch costs in the Turkish public about USD 250 million.

But there were delays, as Tel Aviv exerted pressure to Thales to create a software that would prevent the recording of images by Göktürk -1 when it flies over Israel. This country produces the critical electronic and optical satellite systems and as long as the Turkish-Israeli relations were strained the construction of the satellite could not be completed. After the restoration of relations and the return of the ambassadors of the two countries in Ankara and Tel Aviv, it seems that any obstacles were overcome without clarifying whether the satellite will be able to sent pictures when it passes over Israel.

In 2012 Turkey had launched another satellite called Göktürk-2, which has nothing to do with the potential of the satellite to be launched today, with the aim of the first being to first meet the needs of Civil Protection.

Source: balkaneu.com