President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a video message to mark the launch of İMECE, Türkiye’s first satellite developed with domestic and national resources.
President Erdoğan sent a video message to the ceremony held at the Space Technologies Research Institute of Türkiye's Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK) on the METU Campus, following the launch of İMECE, Türkiye’s first indigenous sub-meter high-resolution observation satellite, into space from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the US.
President Erdoğan stated that he was pleased to deliver the good news today, adding that they had witnessed a momentous moment in the space rivalry during a challenging period for Türkiye, which was shaken by devastating earthquakes.
President Erdoğan said that the İMECE Earth observation satellite, on which engineers worked day and night diligently, was launched into space early in the morning.
President Erdoğan praised those who contributed to this achievement, which will empower Türkiye with strategic capabilities, from the design and production of the satellite to its launch into space.
“By announcing our national space programme, we are now racing towards our goals”
President Erdoğan said, "I thank Allah for allowing us to experience such a triumph for our nation," adding:
"One by one, we are reaping the fruits of our national technology move, which seeks to place our nation at the top of the global technology league. Many developed nations currently invest in space, which they view as strategically significant. The scale of the global space economy grew from $245 billion in 2009 to $469 billion in 2021. These figures are increasing day by day. Türkiye is making great strides as well. By announcing our national space programme, in addition to the investments we have made over the past two decades, we are now racing towards our goals. We have a firm foundation with our expert engineers, robust industrial capacity, a growing number of start-ups, talented scientists, and of course, the youth of TEKNOFEST, our greatest source of confidence."
“With the İMECE satellite, we have manufactured every subsystem required for an observation satellite by ourselves”
President Erdoğan stated that by establishing the TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute, they expedited the training of qualified personnel and continued:
“By establishing the Turkish Space Agency three years ago, we initiated a new phase of space exploration. From producing our own satellites to sending spacecraft to the lunar surface, from sending a Turkish citizen to the international space station to the ecosystem for the space industry, we are currently taking steps one by one to elevate our nation to the position it deserves. Three of the eight communication satellites we have launched into orbit thus far have completed their missions successfully. The remaining five communication satellites are actively serving our country. As the harbinger of the Century of Türkiye, we proudly launched our country's first high-resolution İMECE satellite into space today. With the İMECE satellite, we have designed, manufactured, assembled, integrated, and tested every subsystem required for an observation satellite by ourselves.”
“The İMECE satellite will serve as our eyes and ears in numerous fields”
President Erdoğan highlighted that they developed critical satellite technologies such as flight computers and communication systems with domestic and national means and added, “With the high-resolution, electro-optical camera we have developed, we will be able to obtain images not only of Türkiye but also of any other region on earth. In terms of image resolution, communication speed, and manoeuvrability, İMECE will be Türkiye's most advanced Earth observation satellite. With this initiative, we have acquired every equipment and capability required to build future national earth observation satellites. The İMECE satellite will serve as our eyes and ears in numerous fields, including national defence, disaster management, agriculture, forestry, the environment, and urbanisation.”
President Erdoğan remarked that in addition to İMECE, other satellites developed with national capabilities are launched into space today and continued:
“Let some circles keep thinking that technology is all about basic virtual conferencing connections. We produce essential technologies, export them, and even send them into space. We will, inshallah, continue to accomplish a great deal more objectives and initiatives than they could ever have imagined during the Century of Türkiye. May Allah enlighten and bless our path. I wish İMECE, our domestic and national high-resolution satellite, to yield auspicious results. I would like to congratulate everyone involved.”