ANKARA
Turkey's first indigenous high resolution Earth observation satellite Gokturk-2 was launched on Tuesday from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and it was successfully put into orbit 686 km above the Earth's surface. The first signals from the satellite was successfully received at a station in Norway's Tromso at 19:39 Turkish local time.
Turkish Prime Minister and several Cabinet members attended a ceremony at the Space Technologies Research Institute of TUBITAK, Turkey's scientific research agency, in Ankara.
The satellite which was manufactured by TUBITAK and the Turkish Aerospace Industries, will be used for the image requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces and as other institutions that require satellite images for agriculture, transportation and urban development with 2.5 meters of resolution.
The first images via the satellite are expected to be received at December 25-30.
Other than the optical camera which was bought from South Korea, all the other parts of Gokturk-2 was produced and manufactured in Turkey.
Launch date, which was earlier set for December 19, was shifted one day ahead due to adverse weather conditions.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Erdogan said that the launching of the satellite had shown that Turkey was country that had a claim in the aerospace industry.
"The satellite we send to space today is a solid sign of the place that will power and self-confidence can carry Turkey," Erdogan said.
Also Speaking at the ceremony TUBITAK President Prof Yucel Altunbasak said the software of the satellite was entirely created by Turkish engineers and 80 percent of the hardware used in the satellite was manufactured in Turkey.
Gokturk-2 will not be subject to any international limitation in taking images and sending them to the stations.
