Göktürk-1
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Space services |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Finmeccanica, Thales Group |
| Products | Satellite services, space systems |
| Parent | Leonardo S.p.A., Thales Group |
| Website | www |
Göktürk-1 (also known as Göktürk-1A) is an advanced Earth observation satellite delivering high-resolution imagery better than 50 cm. It was developed for Turkey's Ministry of National Defence by the Italian space services firm Telespazio, with technological input from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and ASELSAN.
The agreement to manufacture Göktürk-1 was finalized on July 13, 2009, between the Ministry of National Defence and Telespazio, a joint venture of Finmeccanica and Thales Group, and became effective on July 19, 2009. The satellite platform was provided by Thales Alenia Space. A key component of the program involved creating a Turkish Satellite Assembly, Integration, and Test Center (UMET), designed to accommodate spacecraft up to , recognized as essential infrastructure. The contract's total value exceeded €250 million.
Offering a resolution of , Göktürk-1 enables unrestricted reconnaissance operations worldwide. Beyond military uses, it serves various civilian purposes including cartography, land cover analysis, geological surveys, ecosystem monitoring, disaster response, environmental protection, coastal zone management, and water resource assessment. On March 18, 2025, the satellite marked a milestone by capturing its 100,000th image, which depicted the Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial.
Dispute with Israel
Israel exerted pressure on the French firm Thales Group, a stakeholder in Telespazio, due to concerns that high-resolution images from Göktürk-1 might be accessed by unauthorized entities. Since Israel supplies critical electro-optical components for the satellite’s camera system to Thales, it demanded that the satellite be restricted from capturing images over Israeli territory.
In response, Turkey insisted that Thales demonstrate Göktürk-1’s capability for global imaging. Initially refusing this request, Thales later complied after Turkey suspended payments. Additionally, Turkish authorities required that the satellite launch be conducted by an experienced space operator; however, Thales had suggested a less experienced and more economical alternative.
Launch
After overcoming political and commercial disagreements that caused delays prior to launch, Göktürk-1 was successfully placed into orbit from the Guiana Space Center at 13:51:44 UTC on December 5, 2016. The launch utilized the European Space Agency's Vega rocket on flight VV08.
Previously, Göktürk-2—a lower-resolution Earth observation satellite in the series—was launched on December 18, 2012.