Turkish tech companies' space-related efforts are expanding with “small satellite” technologies.
TAURUS – Relay Satellite System for Agricultural Applications, fully designed, produced and developed locally and nationally by GUMUSH AeroSpace under TÜBİTAK support, is attracting attention not only for its technical capabilities but also as a groundbreaking step that represents Türkiye's vision in space.
TAURUS will enable the transmission of data collected by IoT sensors via satellite in areas such as agriculture, livestock, health, wildlife and rural development, especially in regions where installing infrastructure is not possible. In this way, it will enable an increase in productivity in agricultural areas with inadequate infrastructure, provide important information to the center in times of disaster when there are infrastructure problems, enable the transmission of health data in rural areas and provide environmental data on climate change or poaching through animal observations. At the same time, it plans to help Türkiye have a say in the global IoT satellite market by contributing to the instant monitoring of energy networks and critical infrastructure lines.
Thanks to their flexible mission structure, satellites not only serve as IoT relays, but also enable monitoring of ship traffic by collecting AIS messages in maritime traffic and air traffic by collecting ADS-B messages in aviation.
All its capabilities packed into 452 grams
The satellites, designed in the “0.25U shape” factor (10 cm x 10 cm x 2.7 cm) and weighing just 452 grams, will be launched in a group of four as part of the SpaceX Bandwagon 4 mission later this year and placed in a 45 degree inclined orbit with an altitude of 510 kilometers. In addition to its size, this mission is also Türkiye's first satellite to be sent into a 45-degree inclined orbit. The integration process into the launch interface was successfully completed on September 12, 2025.
With TAURUS, Turkey has become the fourth country in the world to develop multifunctional picosatellites (ultraminiature satellites ranging in size from 0.1U to 0.25U) in this form factor and has also managed to produce one of the smallest but most functional 0.25U platforms in the world.
GUMUSH AeroSpace is not only limited to the development of satellites and gateways, but also supports its projects with functional sensor ground terminals. The aim is therefore to create a fully integrated ecosystem that can collect data from both satellites in orbit and terminals on the ground.
13 years of cross-border deployment
Founded in 2012, GUMUSH has been a private sector pioneer in small satellite development in Turkey for 13 years. While the company cooperates with institutions and organizations such as TÜBİTAK, ASELSAN, HAVELSAN and the Defense Industry Presidency (SSB), it also carries out joint projects with various countries at the international level. In this regard, GUMUSH is the first cube satellite manufacturer in Turkey and the region.
The company, which has gained recognition not only in Turkey but also around the world thanks to the unique platforms it has developed, has made a name for itself in the international CubeSat ecosystem by participating in the Small Spacecraft Technology Report, published annually by NASA since 2020. This prestigious report highlighted GUMUSH's innovative solutions and contributions to small satellite technologies and named the company as one of the few small satellite manufacturers worldwide.
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