New satellite to launch later this year, contribute to Turkey’s terror fight

A new Turkish satellite set to launch in December is expected to contribute to the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) fight against terror, daily Milliyet reported on Sept. 16.

The satellite, named Göktürk 1, is scheduled to be launched into space on Dec. 5 from French Guiana in South America.

Göktürk 1 will also be used for civil applications such as controlling forested areas, monitoring illegal construction, quickly determining the extent of damage caused by natural disasters and monitoring harvests.

However Göktürk 1’s primary mission will be to answer the needs of the TSK, especially in the fight against terrorism. The satellite cost Turkey 261.5 million euros and is expected to have a lifespan of seven years. The satellite is expected to be used primarily in Turkey’s eastern and southeastern regions, as well as Iraq and Syria. It is also expected to be used in military operations conducted in Syria.

The new satellite will be able to get high resolution images from lower than 1 meter. The current satellite in use, Göktürk 2, gets high resolution images from 2.5 meters.

The tests of the satellite were conducted in Turkey.