Turkey has completed what officials term as the country's first mini-satellite that will be used for remote-sensing and communication, reported the Middle East Newsline (MENL).
The facility is said to weigh 100 kilograms, and will follow a low earth orbit, said MENL. The project is supervised by the Technical and Scientific Council of Turkey, said MENL, quoting the council director, Murat Askar as saying a contract was signed with British Surrey Satellite Technology to construct the satellite.
Askar said the mini-satellite, to be launched to an altitude of between 600 to 800 kilometers, will be used to collect data on agriculture, urbanization and air quality.
He said a successful launch will be followed by another satellite, this one to be designed and manufactured solely by Ankara, according to MENL.
"The first micro- and mini-satellites will be completely Turkish made," Askar said. "But we still have a long way to go for large satellites."
Mini satellite are characterized by rapid development scales when compared with the conventional space industry, often ranging from six to thirty-six months – Albawaba.com
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