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Turkish reconnaissance satellite GÖKTÜRK-1 launched successfully

Ahead of its launcher integration, GÖKTÜRK-1 is hoisted to the upper level of the Vega launch site’s mobile gantry ; Credits: Arianespace
Ahead of its launcher integration, GÖKTÜRK-1 is hoisted to the upper level of the Vega launch site’s mobile gantry ; Credits: Arianespace

Arianespace has successfully launched the GÖKTÜRK-1 satellite within the scope of a turnkey contract with Telespazio on behalf of the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM).
The launch took place on December 5, 2016 at 10:51:44 a.m. local time, from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
This was the 10th launch of the year for Arianespace and the second with Vega in 2016. It also marked the eighth successful launch in a row of this lightweight launcher, which made its debut at the Guiana Space Center in 2012. As a versatile launch vehicle especially well suited to the Earth observation market, Vega continues to confirm its excellence with this latest mission.
Arianespace has eight more Vega missions in its order book.

GÖKTÜRK-1 is the first Turkish Earth observation satellite launched by Arianespace in the six missions it has performed to date for Turkey. Thales Alenia Space and its Turkish partners – especially the companies TAI A.S., Aselsan A.S., Tubitak Bilgem, Roketsan A.S. and TR Tecnoloji – built this satellite using a Proteus platform. It weighed 1,060 kg. at launch and offers a design life of seven years and three months. GÖKTÜRK-1 was placed in a low-Earth Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 700 km. Coverage zone: the entire planet in 72 hour. Featuring a very-high-resolution optical payload, this satellite will provide images for both civil and military applications.

Telespazio, prime contractor for the GÖKTÜRK-1 program, is in charge of satellite integration and the associated ground support equipment.

The second Arianespace Vega launch in 2016 was successfully performed from the SLV launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana; Credits: Arianespace
The second Arianespace Vega launch in 2016 was successfully performed from the SLV launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana; Credits: Arianespace

The eight successful missions performed by Vega to date include both institutional customers and commercial export customers, confirming the launcher’s operational capabilities and adaptability.
Particularly well-tailored for missions with Earth observation satellites, the Vega order book currently stands at eight missions, with 45% for European institutions and 55% for export customers.The upgraded Vega C launcher, slated to make its first flight as from 2019, will provide a significant performance increase over the current version in terms of payload capacity (weight and volume). It will be able to carry out an even wider range of missions, thus improving the competitiveness of the launch service. Arianespace already has started marketing Vega C launches.Shortly after the announcement that the GÖKTÜRK-1 satellite had been injected into orbit, Arianespace Chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël said: “With this second Vega launch of the year, and the eighth since its introduction at the Guiana Space Center, Arianespace has successfully orbited the Earth observation satellite GÖKTÜRK-1 for the Turkish government. We greatly appreciate the ongoing trust of Turkey, for whom we have already launched six satellites. I would like to thank Telespazio, our direct customer on GÖKTÜRK-1; and the satellite’s manufacturer, Thales Alenia Space and its Turkish partners. I also would like to congratulate our industrial prime contractor, ELV/Avio, for the launcher’s excellence and versatility, along with ESA and national space agencies, especially the Italian space agency (ASI), for supporting the Vega program. My thanks to CNES/CSG, and all companies and staff at the launch base, who continue to support us as we go from success to success. And, of course, congratulations to everybody at Arianespace for this 10th successful launch of the year.”

Original published at: http://spacewatchme.com/2016/12/turkish-reconnaissance-satellite-gokturk-1-launched-successfully/

 

 

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