Hosted by Türkiye in Ankara on July 7-8, 2026, the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit served as a significant platform highlighting Türkiye’s expertise in space technologies on the international stage.
During the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF26) on July 7, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska evaluated the high-budget defense industry projects of allied nations and announced the development of two new high-resolution Earth observation satellites by the TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute (TÜBİTAK UZAY).
The Earth observation satellites highlighted in Šekerinska’s speech refer to the İMECE-2 and İMECE-3 satellites, currently being developed at our Institute under the High-Resolution Satellite Constellation Development Project (TUGEP). These new satellites are built upon the knowledge, systems engineering expertise, and indigenous satellite development capabilities gained from İMECE, Türkiye’s first sub-meter resolution Earth observation satellite currently operated by the Air Force Command in Türkiye.
Developed on the TstarL satellite platform, these next-generation satellites will operate in tandem with the existing İMECE satellite to establish a constellation architecture. This integrated approach aims to image larger areas in shorter timeframes, reduce revisit times, and significantly enhance our national space-based Earth observation capacity. Transferring critical subsystem technologies developed for the İMECE satellite, including the platform, electro-optical camera, flight computer, star tracker, reaction wheel, and power management systems, to these new projects will further strengthen Türkiye’s technology ecosystem in Earth observation.
Equipped with high-resolution electro-optical imaging hardware, the İMECE-2 and İMECE-3 satellites will address critical needs across multiple areas, primarily defense, security, disaster management, environmental monitoring, agriculture, and urban planning. In alignment with Türkiye’s objectives for sustainable competence in space technologies, these satellites represent a critical milestone in our national transition toward satellite constellation capabilities.
