Türkiye's TAI targets mid-2027 launch for homegrown Hursat satellite

Turkish Aerospace Industries is preparing to launch its first domestically produced optical Earth-observation satellite in mid-2027, marking the debut of a mass-produced satellite family designed to elevate Türkiye's position in the global space industry, the firm's chief executive said on the sidelines of the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya.

Constellation roadmap

The Hursat-1 craft will operate in low Earth orbit and deliver sub-meter resolution imagery as part of a broader constellation, Mehmet Demiroglu told Anadolu. "The launch of this satellite will significantly elevate Türkiye in the satellite race, since after the launch of the first satellite, we will launch the Hursat-2 aboard Roketsan’s Simsek-1 rocket sometime in 2028-2029," he stated, noting that deploying a homegrown satellite aboard a domestic rocket will place Türkiye among an elite group of spacefaring nations with independent orbital access.

Production scale-up

The Hursat platform employs modular, reusable subsystems to accommodate optical and communications payloads, with TAI targeting high-rate mass production to reduce manufacturing costs and secure export contracts. "The satellite sector is a rapidly expanding field, and if we can do the manufacturing in a cost-effective manner, which is our current plan, I believe many countries, both large and small, will seek out these platforms," Demiroglu said, adding that the firm operates the country's only space systems integration and test center in collaboration with Aselsan and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye.

The 77th International Astronautical Congress kicked off Monday in Antalya and will run through Friday, co-hosted by the Turkish Space Agency and the SAHA Istanbul defense cluster under the Industry and Technology Ministry, according to Anadolu.