The BILSAT-1 satellite was originally scheduled to blast off from the Plesetsk base in northeastern Russia on Friday, but technical problems delayed the launch of the Cosmos rocket carrying the satellite.

The equipment on the satellite was developed by engineers from the Turkish Institute for Electronic Research and Scientific Technology (BILTEN) who worked alongside colleagues in Britain for two years.

Twelve engineers from BILTEN and the Turkish Centre for Scientific Research worked on the 14-million-dollar (12.6-million-euro) project.

The 129-kilo (284-pound) satellite is due to take up orbit around Earth at an altitude of 686 kilometres (425 miles).

Information gathered by the satellite will be used for agricultural purposes, the management of natural catastrophes and urbanisation issues.

Turkey's three previous satellites were built by France's Aerospatiale and launched by the European Ariane rocket.

SPACE.WIRE