SpaceX, an US private aerospace company owned by Elon Musk, successfully launched Turkey’s first indigenously built communication satellite, Turksat 6A.
The satellite was launched on a Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX at 7:30 p.m. EDT (23:30 UTC) on July 8, 2024, from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The rocket successfully delivered the satellite in a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) about 35 minutes after liftoff.
And the first signal from the satellite was received about 67 minutes after liftoff, mission operators confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Now the 4,220 kg satellite, Turksat 6A, will use its own propulsion system to reach its final destination, the geostationary orbit.
The geostationary orbit is located 35,786 km (22,236 miles) above the Earth’s surface, where most of the communications and weather satellites are placed.
A satellite placed in a geostationary orbit takes 24 hours to orbit the earth, which is equal to the rotation of the earth around its own axis. So the satellite remains stationary relative to the earth’s surface and can watch a particular location on earth all the time. This is the advantage of a geostationary orbit.
The satellite will be placed at 42° E in geostationary orbit with an expected lifetime of 16 years, from where it will provide satellite coverage and television broadcasting to Turkey, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
It is a proud moment for Turkey as the satellite is finally launched after a decade of hard work by Turkish scientists.
With this successful launch, Turkey becomes one of the 11 countries to operate its own communication satellite.
Here is the list of Turkey’s communication satellites that are operating in orbit:
| Satellite name | Manufacturer and Country | Launch date | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turksat 3A | Thales Alenia Space (France) | June 3, 2008 | 20 years |
| Turksat 4A | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan) | February 14, 2014 | 30 years |
| Turksat 4B | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan) | October 16, 2015 | 30 years |
| Turksat 5A | Airbus Defence and Space (Germany) | January 7, 2021 | 31 years |
| Turksat 5B | Airbus Defence and Space (Germany) | December 19, 2021 | 37 years |
| Turksat 6A | TUBITAK UZAY (Turkey) | July 8, 2024 | 16 years |
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