Aselsan unveils Gokbagi, a Turkish LEO communications constellation
Aselsan
Aselsan unveiled Gokbagi, a dual-use LEO communications constellation it calls Astralink globally, at IAC 2026 in Antalya.
what happened
Turkish defense electronics maker Aselsan unveiled Gokbagi, a low Earth orbit communications satellite constellation it markets internationally as Astralink, at the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya on October 5, per Anadolu Agency (AA). Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol said the company designed the system "from the chip level up," including its own beamforming chips, and plans to begin launching the first satellites "within the next few years"; per the Turkish defense-trade outlet defenceturk.net, the constellation is planned at 198 satellites with first launches in 2028-2029. Aselsan describes Gokbagi as a dual-use network for military, government and civilian communications.
why it matters
The unveiling adds a state-linked sovereign LEO communications effort, alongside the EU's IRIS2, China's Guowang and Qianfan, and Russia's Rassvet, aimed at reducing reliance on foreign operators for government and defense connectivity, a market Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb currently dominate in much of the region.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- Aselsan
- Category
- constellation
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-10-05
- Published
- 2026-10-06 00:38 UTC