Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) plans to launch HÜRSAT-1, the first member of its HÜRSAT satellite family, in mid-2027. According to information provided by TUSAŞ General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu during the 77th International Astronautical Congress, the optical observation satellite is intended to operate in low Earth orbit and deliver imagery with sub-meter resolution.
TUSAŞ and ROKETSAN have also signed a project agreement for the program's second satellite, HÜRSAT-2. The current plan calls for HÜRSAT-2 to be launched by ROKETSAN's ŞİMŞEK-1 rocket in the 2028-2029 period. These dates are company targets rather than fixed launch appointments and may change as technical preparations and mission planning advance.
A satellite constellation approach
The HÜRSAT platform is being developed around a modular design intended to support different payloads on a common architecture. Demiroğlu said the satellites are planned to work together in low Earth orbit and can be configured with different payloads to serve multiple mission areas.
The principal differences between HÜRSAT-1 and HÜRSAT-2 are expected to involve their payloads and launch mechanisms. At the same time, the program aims to retain the same basic platform and many reusable subsystems. TUSAŞ presents that approach as a way to speed up production while keeping manufacturing costs under control.
The sub-meter optical resolution announced for HÜRSAT-1 indicates a focus on Earth-imaging missions. The planned sun-synchronous orbit is intended to support observations under similar lighting conditions on successive passes. The modular architecture, meanwhile, is designed to let the same core satellite platform be adapted to different mission requirements.
TUSAŞ and ROKETSAN team up on HÜRSAT-2
The two companies signed the HÜRSAT-2 project agreement during the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya. The cooperation brings together TUSAŞ, which is developing the satellite platform, and ROKETSAN, which is working on the launch system.
If the program proceeds as planned, HÜRSAT-2 is intended to pair a domestically developed satellite with a domestically developed rocket. The announced 2028-2029 window, however, should be read as the current program objective, not as a confirmed launch date.
The congress was organized in Antalya by the International Astronautical Federation and hosted by the Turkish Space Agency and SAHA Istanbul. The HÜRSAT agreement and the accompanying statements placed Türkiye's satellite-platform development and launch-system work on the same agenda.
Serial production and export ambitions
TUSAŞ describes HÜRSAT as a satellite family designed for serial production. Its modular architecture is intended to allow payloads to be adapted to different user requirements while common subsystems are reused across multiple spacecraft. The company aims to increase production speed, lower costs and offer the platform to international customers as well as domestic users.
The company's Space Systems Integration and Test Center is expected to support the program. The facility can test satellites against temperature, load and vibration conditions they may face during launch and orbital operations. Demiroğlu also highlighted cooperation with ASELSAN and TÜBİTAK UZAY as part of the broader national space ecosystem.
The serial-production objective centers on building a family of satellites with shared infrastructure rather than producing a single spacecraft. TUSAŞ's stated model combines cost-effective manufacturing, configurable payloads and potential exports. HÜRSAT-1's first flight will therefore test not only the spacecraft but also the production approach behind the wider family.
The nearest milestone is HÜRSAT-1's targeted launch in mid-2027. The next step would be HÜRSAT-2's planned flight on ŞİMŞEK-1, bringing satellite manufacturing and access-to-orbit capabilities into the same program. The technical objectives establish a clear roadmap, but execution will depend on completing development, testing and launch preparations.
