Göktürk 2 2

Spacecraft nr:

Turkish spacecraft nr: 9

Launch data: Designation  39030 / 12073A Launch date  18 Dec 2012 - 16:12UT Launch site  Jiuquan, SLS-2 Launch vehicle  CZ-2D Mission  Mil.: Earth observing Sun-synchronous Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  669 x 690 km Eccentricity  1,49E-03 Inclination  98.16 deg Period  98.35 min

Spacecraft data: Prime manufacturer  Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) Platform   Operator  Turkish Ministry of Defence Mass at launch  450 kg (409?) Dry Mass   kg Basic shape   Dimension (m)   Equipment   Image Storage capacity  > 15 Gbit Solar array   Stabilization  3 deployable fixed solar arrays Propulsion   DC power   Design lifetime  5 yrs - still active

Gokturk satellite - Credit: Turkish Defence

Description:

• China will launch Turkey’s first intelligence satellite, Göktürk 2-2, for $20 million since Turkey lacks the required technology to launch the satellite. Göktürk 2-2, which will be capable of detecting the movements of objects smaller than even one square meter, will help capture terrorists infiltrating Turkish borders. The optical camera for the satellite has been bought from South Korea, while all the other parts have been produced and manufactured in Turkey.
• Göktürk 2-2 was financed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
• Göktürk 2-2 was tested in France and the satellite would be sent to China's Jiuquan Space Station within the first week of November.
• The Göktürk 2-2 satellite will also be used for monitoring civilian activities such as control of forestland, tracking illegal construction, rapid assessment of damage after natural disasters, determination of agricultural boundaries and geographical data gathering. The project also aims to furnish national industries with the capability to design and integrate satellite systems and run tests on them here in Turkey.
• According to rumors circulating around Turkish defence spheres, Israel actively tries using diplomatic pressure to block the launch of Göktürk 2-2, fearing that Turkey will be able to monitor Israel’s territory. However, no international legal remedy is available to Israel to limit the operations of Gokturk satellites at this time.
• Built to operate for five years, the satellite is able to re-image a given area every 2.5 days and has 8 gigabytes of on-board data storage capacity.
• Göktürk 2-1, a higher resolution version of the satellite using a more advanced bus and different frame, is currently under construction by a consortium of Telespazio and Thales-Alenia.

Mission details:

• Gokturk is an earth observing satellite for the Turkish Defense Ministry. The CZ-2D rocket put it in a 669 x 689 km x 98.2 deg orbit and then made a depletion burn to a 144 x 688 km orbit. The satellite was built by Turk Havacikik ve Uzay Sanayii (Turkish Aerospace Inc) and the TUBITAK research council.
• In a Jan. 13, 2014 statement, TAI said Gokturk-2 has completed 5,344 orbits of the Earth “without limitation.” The company has said Gokturk-1 similarly will function “without geographical constraints over the world from any area of military intelligence with high-resolution images.”

External links:

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