Designed and manufactured by TÜBİTAK SPACE engineers, RASAT, Türkiye's first domestically produced Earth observation satellite, has etched its name in golden letters in Turkish aviation history with the records it broke and the critical data it provided during its mission in orbit. Having served for three times its projected lifespan, RASAT has become the most concrete project proving the maturity of domestic satellite technology.
A turning point in Türkiye's space adventure. OBSERVATION, When it was launched from Russia on August 17, 2011, it was only given a 3-year mission lifespan. However, this project, which served as a test of the endurance of Turkish engineering, has passed its 9th year in orbit (as of 2020 data), demonstrating a performance far exceeding expectations.
Completely without any consultancy or external support. TÜBİTAK SPACE‘its own resources and BILSAT RASAT, produced with the experience gained from the project, was one of the most strategic steps taken towards reducing external dependence.
Around the World in 98 Minutes: RASAT's Technical Power
With its ability to capture images from anywhere in the world without restrictions, RASAT has provided data to many fields, from disaster management to urban planning, thanks to its technical capabilities.
- Weight: 93 kg
- Orbital Period: A round trip around the world in 98 minutes.
- Viewing Frequency: Four crossings per day via Türkiye.
- Resolution: 7.5-meter panchromatic (black and white) and 15-meter multispectral (color/multi-band).
- Coverage: Viewing 30 km x 30 km frames or 960 km long strips at a time.
Thanks to these technical capabilities, millions of strategically important data points, ranging from dam water levels and illegal construction to forest fires and volcanic activity, have been recorded in high resolution.
Its design life was 3 years, but it became a legend.
RASAT's greatest achievement was its resilience to the harsh conditions of the space environment (radiation, extreme temperature differences). The satellite, which was planned to operate for 3 years, reached these striking statistics by its 9th year:
- Total Tour: 47,943 orbits.
- Task Number: 3,202 successful viewing tasks.
- Scanned Area: A total area of 16,813,800 km² is being displayed.
These data have proven to the world the competence of Turkish engineers and technicians in producing long-lasting and durable satellite systems.
GEZGİN Portal: Türkiye's Satellite Archive Opened to the Public
The data obtained by RASAT was made available not only to government institutions but also to citizens and researchers. Raw images downloaded from orbit, TÜBİTAK SPACE After undergoing geometric and radiometric corrections at ground stations, it became Türkiye's first domestic satellite image portal. TRAVELER‘'e (www.gezgin.gov.tr) uploaded.
Thanks to this portal, Türkiye's most up-to-date map data and historical satellite images have become an invaluable resource for academic and civil studies.
