Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS/TAI)

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS/TAI), founded in 1973 and operating under the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) as a subsidiary of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TAFF), runs Turkey's Space Systems division alongside its aircraft, helicopter and UAV businesses. Its space heritage began with the GOKTURK-2 high-resolution Earth observation satellite, designed, manufactured, assembled, integrated and tested entirely in-house and launched in 2012, followed by the GOKTURK-1 electro-optical reconnaissance satellite (launched 2016 with Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space) and the GOKTURK-3 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite program executed under TUSAS prime contractorship with ASELSAN and TUBITAK UZAY. The GOKTURK-Y follow-on program, contracted with SSB in 2021, is developing an indigenous very-high-resolution electro-optical Earth observation satellite and ground segment.

On the telecommunications side, Turkish Aerospace developed the Structural, Thermal and Chemical Propulsion subsystems, mechanical ground support equipment and AIT activities for TURKSAT 6A, Turkiye's first domestically produced communication satellite (launched July 2024 from Cape Canaveral), and offers a Small Size GEO Satellite platform family (0.5-3 ton class, full-electric propulsion, multi-launch/rideshare compatible) for flexible/BSS/FSS/HTS commercial telecommunications missions, marketed jointly through its GSATCOM venture.

All these programs are assembled, integrated and environmentally tested at the Turkish Aerospace Space Systems Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT/USET) Center in Ankara - a 10,000 sqm facility with a 3,800 sqm ISO-8 cleanroom capable of handling satellites up to 5 tons, built to ECSS standards and directly connected to the airport taxiway for launch shipment.