Turkiye launched its first domestically produced telecommunications satellite, Türksat 6A. A move that secures Turkiye’s rights in space. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried the satellite into space from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the U.S. Space Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said the launch marked the start of a “new phase” for Turkiye in satellite production. “As Turkiye, we produce more than 81 per cent of subsystems, satellite ground stations and software in the 6A program, which is of great importance for our country’s future in space with national resources,” he said. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the first signal from Turksat 6A was received 67 minutes after its launch, as planned, adding that thanks to this satellite, Turkiye will now be able to cover 5 billion people. “We have raised our communications and TV broadcasts to a safer, better level,” he said, adding that Türksat 6A will now allow Turkiye to reach India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Turkiye has previously launched satellites into Orbit using SpaceX rockets. Uraloğlu said that Türksat 6A results from a 10-year effort to domestically produce a satellite, adding that Turkiye is one of 11 countries that have done so. According to the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) “Use it or Lose it” Principle, Türkiye had to send orbits into space according to some time frames. The population that Turkish orbit covers is one of the most strategically important ones. The ITU is the organisation that allocates specific orbital positions and frequency spectrums based on countries’ requests.
The satellite is designed and produced by TUBITAK Uzay (Space), TUSAŞ, Aselsan and CTech.
