The Turkish Space Agency, affiliated to the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey, published its 2020 annual report. The report prepared by the Turkish Space Agency Strategy Development Department begins with the words of Minister Mustafa Varank and President Serdar H. Yıldırım. Although it is not known when the report on the agency website was uploaded to the site, it is highly likely that the report will be ready in February 2021.
To download the Turkey Space Agency 2020 Annual Report CLICK HERE
To download the Turkish Space Agency's 2020 Basic Financial Statements CLICK HERE
The report contained in the Presidential Decree No. 13 declaring the establishment of the Agency, published on 2018 December 23. "Agency's Duties" ve “Organs and units of the agency” with general information.
Service units of the agency; Space Systems and Vehicles, Space Sciences, Launch Systems, Aviation Technologies, Management Services and Strategy Development Departments, Private Secretary, Foreign Relations Branch, Legal Counsel and Advanced Technology and Internal Audit Unit. .
It was stated in the Presidential Decree No. 123 that the Agency Presidency had created 52 staff with various titles. In the same decree, it is also stated that the appointment of these creations must be made "by the date of 2/11/31, either openly or by transfer, without seeking the limit on the number of appointments determined according to Article 12 of the CB Decree No. 2020".
However, there is no information in the report regarding the necessary assignments to 123 staff.
When we look at the aims and objectives of the administration, it is stated that the organization process of the Turkish Space Agency Presidency, which was established with the decree dated 13 December 2018, continues and the Strategic Plan of the Agency will be completed by the end of 2021. Based on the legislation and the main policies in effect, the said Strategic Plan; It is planned to be shaped within the framework of objectives, targets, policies and priorities, covering the years 2022-2026 and announced to the public.
Some of the key key policies and priorities outlined in the report were not clearly stated before. Some of these items are:
- Acquiring facilities and technologies that will provide independent access to space, ensuring that other sectors of the national industry can also benefit from the expertise and knowledge in this field.
This article is not only aimed at the goal of independent access to space, but also an important article that should be included in existing and potential projects. Because the companies, institutes, research centers, SMEs etc. that make up the space industry in Turkey. The tracking and cataloging of space-historical components is critical for both cost and practicality.
- To regulate the national space law legislation to protect and develop our country's rights to space in the international arena.
Space law has an important position in terms of both orbital use and the use and impact of various technologies, especially Space Traffic Management. However, considering the current situation, the scarcity and relative ignorance of applications on space law in the world may cause this field to appear ineffective for a while. prepared for the National Space Program. bu As stated in the study, it is very important for Turkey to participate in the space law process as early as possible with internationally valid and effective legislation and recommendations.
Finally, it was stated in the relevant section that performance information was not available due to the lack of a strategic plan in effect. However, it is very nice to state that the performance indicators for strategic goals are related to strategic goals and targets and their realization will be monitored within the scope of the strategic plan to be created. There is no statement about announcing the related performance information system evaluation to the public.
Report “projects and activities” continues with the title. It includes bilateral/multilateral relations, national/international activities and technical meetings discussed and/or held. A few notable items:
- Satellite Production Company – On March 12, 2020, a working group was established to be coordinated by our Agency, and studies were initiated to gather satellite activities in Turkey under a single roof. On March 18, 2020, a meeting was held with ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, TÜRKSAT and TÜBİTAK UZAY to establish a satellite production company, and the preliminary studies for the preparation of the report were evaluated.
Here, it is stated that the preliminary evaluation report for the satellite joint stock company, about which there is not much explanation, was completed in May 2020. While the preliminary report was prepared with the participation of ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, TÜRKSAT and TÜBİTAK UZAY, STM, HAVELSAN, C Tech, BİTES et al. It is interesting that the companies to be listed as such are not participating. When the monolithic satellite company becomes operational, it is an important question mark where these companies and their customers will be located. It is very difficult to talk about this question mark, since there is no new statement about the monolithic satellite company after it was announced to the public with the National Space Program on February 9, 2021. We hope that the details about the monolithic satellite company will be shared with the public soon.
In addition, when we look at both this article and the overall report, the absence of any work carried out with the SSB and the MSB and reflected in the report makes it difficult to determine Turkey's position in the context of military and civilian cooperation in space.
- Cosmic Radiation Mapping (KORAH) Project – On November 3, 2020, a meeting was held on the Project of Removing the Cosmic Radiation Map of our country (KORAH).
In this article, which is under the title of technical meetings, the institutions and organizations that participate in other relevant meetings are specified, and it is an important point that there are no details regarding this project. The important questions that have not yet been answered are how the cosmic radiation map will be created in Turkey by which organization and by what methods and how this map will be benefited. We hope that the details of the KORAH Project will be shared with the public in the near future.
- As a title that is sought under this title but not found in the report: UTAS-R, that is, bringing a history of space to the domestic atomic clock.
UTAS-R, one of the projects carried out by the agency, is the space qualification project of a Rubidium-based atomic clock developed as a laboratory type for use in positioning satellites, carried out with TÜBİTAK UME. After the laboratory-type atomic clock is converted into space environment, it is expected to be tested by sending it into space.
And towards the end of the report “Assessment of institutional capability and capacity” is located. Here, items such as "superiorities", "weaknesses" and "suggestions and measures" are presented. In the Advantages section “The National Space Program is nearing completion” Although it is not understood what is meant in the article, we can say that it is a good evaluation in general.
In the last part of the report, there is the internal control assurance statement signed by Agency President Serdar H. Yıldırım and the financial services unit manager statement signed by Strategy Development Department Head Özgür Özkan.
The activity report of the Turkish Space Agency was shared with the public as a statement of the accountable and transparent working approach of the work done throughout 2020. We hope that the Agency, which is positioned as the coordinating institution in Turkey's space studies, will show the same transparency in the future and wish it continued success.
Source: defenceturk
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