Türkiye left behind an important milestone in the field of space technologies and successfully placed its first domestic and national communication satellite, Türksat 6A, into orbit. The satellite, which was launched into space with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA, on July 8, 2024, performed a total of six firings until it reached its orbit. This process was controlled with domestic technologies developed by TÜBİTAK UZAY and each step was completed as planned.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, in his post on social media platform X, said, “The 20-year adventure has ended successfully! “Our first local and national communication satellite, Türksat 6A, has successfully reached the 42° East orbit,” he said. He also stated that the satellite will start active service in the first quarter of 2025 and said, “Türksat 6A will elevate Turkey to an important player in international space studies and strengthen our communication infrastructure.” This development enabled Turkey to be among the few countries that developed and launched its own satellites in space.
Expanding horizons with Türksat 6A
Türksat 6A was designed as a communications satellite that weighs approximately 4,250 kilograms and has an energy capacity of 8.4 kilowatts. The satellite, produced with a domestic production rate of over 80 percent, will serve in areas such as television broadcasting, communication and data transmission. Having the satellite in geostationary orbit will allow the coverage area to expand significantly. Especially Asian countries such as India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia will be included in Türksat’s new coverage area. With this expansion, the population that Türksat reaches will increase from 3.5 billion to 5 billion.
Placing Turksat 6A into orbit is not only considered a technological success. It also reveals Turkey’s engineering capabilities, quest for independence and national pride. Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır described the project as “a turning point that demonstrates the point Turkey has reached in space technologies” and described this success as the product of a 20-year effort.
This satellite stands out as an engineering marvel that is planned to operate actively for 15 years. With Türksat 6A in orbit, Türkiye will not only meet its own communication needs but also have a greater say in the international market. All these developments once again reveal how committed Turkey is to the principle of independence in space studies.