"Turkey Launches IMECE Satellite for Advanced Communication and Earth Observation"
Turkey's Minister of National Defense, Hulusi Akar, and TÜBİTAK President, Hasan Mandal, spoke at a ceremony held at the TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute on the occasion of the launch of İMECE from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the USA to its orbit. In his statement, Minister Akar expressed the importance of space technology and how it impacts land, sea, and air forces. The launch of İMECE will allow Turkey to gain a serious talent and compete on a global level.
IMECE is expected to orbit at an altitude of 680 kilometers and will serve Turkey in areas such as target identification, detection, natural disasters, and agricultural applications during its design mission life of five years. The satellite will be able to obtain images from anywhere in the world.
In addition to İMECE, the imaging satellite AKUP developed by TÜBİTAK UZAY, imaging satellite KILIÇSAT produced in cooperation with ASELSAN and GÜMÜŞ, internet of things and imaging satellite CONNECTA T2.1 cube satellites produced by PLAN-S company was also launched into space in the same rocket.
IMECE was equipped with an electro-optical satellite camera with sub-meter resolution, which was developed by TUBITAK UZAY and integrated into the satellite. This critical camera will help Turkey meet its need for high-resolution satellite images with domestic resources. TÜBİTAK UZAY also designed and produced the flight computer, electric propulsion, orientation and trajectory determination, power, and communication subsystems of the satellite.
The outputs obtained from the IMECE project will form the building blocks of future satellites in Turkey. The development of critical space technologies and human power in this field will give Turkey the potential to export systems with high added value.
The IMECE satellite successfully passed thermal vacuum, vibration, acoustic, and electromagnetic compatibility tests as of June 2022 and was sent to the USA for launch in February. This launch marks an important milestone for Turkey's space program and positions the country to compete on the global stage.
