Göktürk-1

Göktürk-1
Model of Göktürk-1 displayed at the stand of TAI during the IDEF'15
Mission typeEarth observation
OperatorTurkish Ministry of National Defence
COSPAR ID2016-073A
SATCAT no.41875
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerTelespazio
Thales Alenia Space
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ)
Start of mission
Launch date5 December 2016
RocketVega flight VV08
Launch siteKourou ELV
ContractorArianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeSun-synchronous
EpochPlanned

Göktürk-1 (also Göktürk-1A) is a high resolution Earth observation satellite (greater than 50 cm) designed and developed for the Turkish Ministry of National Defence by the Italian space service company Telespazio with technological input from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and ASELSAN of Turkey.

The agreement to build Göktürk-1 was signed on July 13, 2009 between the Ministry of National Defence and Telespazio, a Finmeccanica/Thales Group joint venture company, taking effect on July 19, 2009. Thales Alenia Space is in charge of supplying the satellite bus. Within the framework of the project, a facility for assembly, integration and testing of spacecraft (UMET) up to 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) mass will be established in Turkey, which is considered as a critical infrastructure. The project is valued at more than 250m.

The satellite with 0.80 m (2 ft 7 in) resolution is intended for use of reconnaissance over any location on Earth without geographical restriction. Additionally, it will carry out various civil applications on mapping and planning, landcover survey, geology, ecosystem monitoring, disaster management, environmental control, coastal zone management, and water resources. On March 18, 2025, a satellite photo of the Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial was shared as the 100,000th image taken by the satellite.