First Turkish-made satellite settles into orbit
Posted by meb at September 24th, 2009
The first satellite manufactured in Turkey, created by the İstanbul Technical University (İTÜ) flight and space sciences faculty’s space engineering department, has settled into orbit around the Earth.
According to reports, Turkish satellite İTÜpSAT1, launched from Sriharikota by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) at 9:21 a.m. local time yesterday on a PSLV C-14 rocket, settled into its orbital path, 720 kilometers above the surface of the earth, at 9:41 a.m. The cube-shaped satellite travels at a speed of nearly 7.5 kilometers per second, orbiting the Earth once every 90 minutes. It will take photographs of the Earth’s continents.
İTÜpSAT1 is expected to stay in orbit for six months. Flight and space sciences faculty Dean Dr. Fevzi Ünal, speaking to the press from the observation lounge of the university where the satellite’s launch was broadcast live, noted that the satellite launch was the product of several years’ work. The satellite’s production cost $150,000, but along with the infrastructure to make its creation possible and the 60,000 euros for the rocket launch, the entire project cost around 1 million euros, Ünal explained. The satellite is to orbit the Earth continually, transmitting data when it passes over Turkey. Ünal said they planned to establish contact with the satellite three to four times a day.
source: Today’s Zaman
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