Details of HÜRSAT-1 Revealed: 0.9-Metre Resolution, 500 km Orbit and a ‘Satellite Factory’ Goal
TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace Industries) has disclosed the technical targets for HÜRSAT-1, the first member of its HÜRSAT small-satellite family, in the 146th issue of its GÖKVATAN magazine. According to the company, the satellite will operate in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometres, with a ground sample distance (GSD) of 0.9 metres or better in panchromatic imaging and 3.6 metres or better in multispectral imaging.
HÜRSAT-1 will be able to produce data in the red, green, blue and near-infrared bands as well as the panchromatic band, and to scan wide areas in a single pass with an image swath of at least 14 kilometres. The satellite is being designed to operate in space for five years or longer. The magazine states that HÜRSAT-1 has a mass of about 200 kilograms.
The project’s main claim is not a single satellite but serial production. TUSAŞ is designing HÜRSAT as a product family that can be adapted to different missions in the roughly 100-650 kilogram range. Under a formation-flying (“team satellite”) architecture in which these satellites — capable of carrying electro-optical, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and thermal imaging payloads — work in coordination in the same orbit, the aim is to image the same area more frequently. The company describes this approach as a “satellite factory” vision; according to the magazine, a development and production period of about 24 months is envisaged for the HÜRSAT satellite.
TUSAŞ stresses that HÜRSAT will not replace the GÖKTÜRK-class strategic satellites but complement them. While HÜRSAT-1’s primary focus is civilian needs such as agriculture, forest fires and disaster monitoring, the high-resolution imagery can also be used in defence and security missions, according to the article. In October, a HÜRSAT-2 contract was signed between TUSAŞ and ROKETSAN.
The magazine did not include HÜRSAT-1’s launch date or which rocket will carry it into orbit.
Related coverage
- What Is Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ)? Company Overview
- TUSAŞ and ROKETSAN Sign HÜRSAT-2 Satellite Contract
- Where and How the GÖKBEY Is Built: Turkish Aerospace’s Kahramankazan Facilities and the Production Process
Source: TUSAŞ, GÖKVATAN Magazine, Issue 146 (2026/3).
