Turkey's high-resolution Gokturk-1 optical reconnaissance satellite, which was completed months ago but held up because of a dispute over the readiness of an elaborate satellite test and assembly center in Turkey, has been cleared for shipment May 7. More than two years behind schedule, Gokturk-1 suffered the complexities of a three-nation effort - Turkey, France and Italy - and the strains of being the world's first export of a satellite with a ground resolution sharper than 1 meter. The mid-2009 contract went through months of discussions in the three nations about what protocols should attach to the contract. At one point work came to a standstill for over a year as both Turkey and its suppliers mulled throwing in the towel.
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