RASAT takes off into space

Turkey’s first observatory satellite manufactured by Turkish engineers was launched into space on Wednesday from the Yasny Launch Base in southwestern Russia, bordering Kazakhstan.

Designed by engineers and technicians from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey’s Space Technologies Research Institute, or TÜBİTAK-UZAY, and funded by the State Planning Organization, or DPT, RASAT was sent up via the Dnepr launch vehicle and placed itself into orbit 687 kilometers away in 969 seconds. RASAT’s first signals have been received at TÜBİTAK’s station in Ankara, TÜBİTAK UZAY head manager Murat Leloğlu said in a press meeting.

The Dnepr launch vehicle also carried seven other satellites from Ukraine, Nigeria, Italy and the U.S. and Wednesday’s launch was its 17th.

After the first signals were received, there will be a 15-day test period for RASAT, in which the necessary programs will be loaded and the first footage from outer space will be transmitted to Earth stations in Ankara and TÜBİTAK’s station in Norway.

Source: here