Türkiye to launch first indigenous communications satellite into space

Türkiye will enter a "new era" in its space endeavours with the launch of its indigenous Turksat 6A telecommunications satellite next month, according to the country's transportation and infrastructure minister.

"Our country's experience in the field of satellites will be crowned with the launch of the Turksat 6A into space, and our satellite will open the door to a new era and be a milestone for our country," Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Tuesday.

Uraloglu highlighted Türkiye's transition from an importer of space probes to a country capable of exporting them. He noted that it has started to develop its own satellites, from its first indigenous Earth observation orbiter, the Imece, launched last year, to smaller cubesats and near-orbit constellation satellites.

First indigenous telecommunications satellite

Pointing to the progress Türkiye has made in its satellite program since its beginnings in the 1990s, he said:

"We have increased the number of active telecommunication satellites in orbit to five, and our first indigenous telecommunications satellite, the Turksat 6A, marks an important milestone in our accomplishments in space and satellite technologies."

Türkiye's foreign dependency on the satellite and space sector will only continue to decline, Uraloglu asserted, adding that it proved its ability to develop its own telecommunications satellite with the Turksat 6A, which will shape the country's future.

With the launch, expected in the second week of July from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Türkiye's satellite operator Turksat will be able to provide coverage to a substantially wider area including India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

"The population reached by (Türkiye's) satellites will grow from 3.5 billion to 5 billion," said Uraloglu, noting that the Turksat 6A will be operational by the end of 2024.