Türkiye's first domestic and national communication satellite, TÜRKSAT 6A, was sent into space with a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX's launch center at Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, at 02.30 on the night connecting July 8 to July 9.
First signal 67 minutes into the launch
The first signal from the satellite was received at 03.51 at the 67th minute, as planned, and one hour after the first signal, the first command was given to TÜRKSAT 6A.
The solar panels, which will provide the energy needed for uninterrupted communication with TÜRKSAT 6A, were deployed on approximately 3 hours after the launch.
Since the separation, the satellite has been in an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 300 km and an apogee of 70000 km, while the switching on of the subsystems and deployment of solar panels took place according to plan. At 05.24 a.m., at an altitude of 32,479 kilometers, the solar panels were set to sun tracking mode on and energy production reached its maximum level.
Four phases after launch
TÜRKSAT 6A goes through four different phases starting from its temporary orbit until it reaches the target orbit. The first of these is “Orbit Determination”, where the satellite's current orbit is determined by using the satellite's communication systems as the first step after the satellite is separated from the launch vehicle. Then, in the “Firing Parameters Determination” phase, the optimum time, duration and firing direction for chemical propulsion engine ignitions will be determined according to the satellite's position, and these parameters are uploaded to the flight computer, which has completely domestic software and hardware. Then, in the “Firing Commands” phase, the flight computer executes the firing commands at the appropriate moment and the firing is carried out. The final stage, “Orbit Control”, will calculate the satellite's new orbit after the launch and confirm the accuracy of the operation. These operations are repeated until the satellite is in its target orbit.
Since these operations are completed, TÜRKSAT 6A is the first indigenous satellite farthest from Earth, and valuable operational experience have been gained before the Lunar Exploration Program.
Launch euphoria both in the US and Türkiye
TÜRKSAT 6A Launch Ceremony was also held at TÜRKSAT's Gölbaşı campus. Deputy President Cevdet Yılmaz and Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır attended the ceremony, while Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, President of Defense Industry Haluk Görgün and TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal were present at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA, where the TÜRKSAT 6A was launched.
“With TÜRKSAT 6A, we have entered a new phase in satellite production”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a video message to the launch ceremony of the TÜRKSAT 6A satellite.
Stating that today we have witnessed another proud occasion for Türkiye and the nation and that the domestic communication satellite TÜRKSAT 6A has just been launched into space, Erdoğan emphasized that more than 81 percent of the subsystems, satellite ground station and software in the 6A project, which is of great importance for Türkiye's future in space, are produced with national facilities.
Stating that SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket was preferred for the 6A, just like the 5B satellite launched into space 2.5 years ago, Erdoğan expressed his satisfaction with the strengthening of the cooperation established with Elon Musk and SpaceX in various fields.
Stating that Türkiye has increased its presence in space despite all obstacles and restrictions, Erdoğan reminded that they recently carried out the first manned space mission, one of the main goals of the National Space Program. President Erdoğan noted the following:
“With Turksat 6A, we have entered a new phase in satellite production. Our indigenous and national communication satellite 6A will ensure the backup of existing satellites and further increase capacity. Thanks to TÜRKSAT 6A, which is planned to be positioned at a distance of 35,786 kilometers, countries such as India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, which were previously outside the coverage area, will enter the coverage area. With our new satellite, we will increase the population reached by Türkiye's satellites from 3.5 billion to 5 billion. With 6A, we believe that TÜRKSAT's satellite service exports to the region will increase significantly. In addition, with the launch of TÜRKSAT 6A, Türkiye will become a country capable of producing communication satellites.”
“It is of great importance for our national security”
Pointing out that Türkiye will have a market share in the design and production of satellites and their components thanks to the acquisition of technology and experience, Erdoğan said: “The ability to produce critical technologies such as communication satellites without being dependent on foreign sources is of great importance for our national security.”
Wishing that the TÜRKSAT 6A satellite will be a blessing for Türkiye, the nation and television broadcasting, Erdoğan thanked the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, TÜRKSAT, TÜBİTAK, ASELSAN, TAI and CTech for their efforts in realizing the project.
'TÜRKSAT 6A project is an important part of this vision'
Speaking before the launch, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said that satellite technologies have become one of the areas of strategic importance.
Stating that they consider it extremely important to be independent in such a strategic field with domestic and national technologies, Yılmaz said: “The successes we have achieved in the defense industry under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are spreading to many fields from space studies to communication technologies. The TÜRKSAT 6A project is an important part of this vision. We are implementing our 'National Space Program', our comprehensive road map that sets Türkiye's goals in space research, satellite technologies and the space industry, step by step. The main objectives of the program include important projects such as the development of domestic and national satellites, the Moon mission, the creation of a space ecosystem and the training of human resources in space technologies. As you know, with the first manned space mission, we have leaped forward in our space goals. We are conducting joint projects and research with international space agencies and organizations, transferring knowledge and technology, and developing our human resources in this field. Events such as TEKNOFEST increase the interest of our people in space technologies and encourage them to pursue a career in this field. I believe that the successes of our country and our citizens will echo more from the sky in the coming period.” With the latest TÜRKSAT 5B, we strengthened our satellite fleet and increased our satellite data communication capacity. On the other hand, we started the production of our domestic and national satellite project TÜRKSAT 6A in order to consolidate our frequency and orbital rights. TÜRKSAT 6A is a product of our National Technology Move and the know-how acquired by our engineers and defense industry. It is the highest-value technology project our country has ever produced. It will operate at 35,786 kilometers, the farthest point we have reached in space, and will set the bar high in the sky. The area served by our communication satellites will expand to include India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, providing access to communication services to a population of 5 billion. With a service life of approximately 15 years, our satellite has a fuel life of more than 16 years. With TÜRKSAT 6A, Türkiye will take its place among the 11 countries that can build their own communication satellites and send them into space. This level of production will also make it possible to export satellites and many equipment and subsystems developed within the scope of satellites. We have also built up the know-how to transfer satellite technology to friendly and brotherly countries. We will continue to bring technological transformations, which may seem like a dream to some, to our country.”
“We are moving our country step by step forward in the field of space”
Emphasizing that they have built a giant R&D system from scratch in 22 years, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said, “Innovation-oriented projects are being implemented. Together, we are building a pioneering Türkiye that produces high technology and added value.” Noting that the flare of this understanding was launched with the breakthroughs in the defense industry, Kacır said, “We have increased the localization rate in the sector from 20 percent to over 80 percent.”
Stating that they see a similar window of opportunity in the field of space technologies, Kacır said that the rapid decline in launch costs has opened the door to the advancement of the remote sector. “As a country with a global claim in technology development and high technology production, we consider it an obligation rather than a preference for our country to benefit from the opportunities offered by space and to protect our interests,” said Kacır, adding, ”With this understanding, we are moving our country step by step forward in terms of human resources, design and engineering capabilities in space science and technologies.”
Türkiye in the top 11 of the A team in satellite technologies
Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology, stated that they have moved Türkiye forward step by step in terms of human resources, design and engineering capabilities, and said: “With the investments we have made in satellite technologies, where our competencies in the field of space are gathered on a large scale, we have brought our country to a level that can develop, produce and test its own satellites. With İMECE, our national observation satellite with sub-meter resolution, which we launched into space last year, we can now take images from anywhere in the world without any restrictions. With the TÜRKSAT 6A project, which will extend the coverage area of our communication satellites to a population of approximately 5 billion people, we have utilized our achievements in the production and development of communication satellites in the production of communication satellites, which incorporate more sophisticated technologies than the imaging satellites we have procured from abroad so far. During the project process, in which we carried out all stages domestically, we achieved a localization rate of more than 80 percent by domestically producing a total of 84 equipment of 23 different types, such as flight computers, power distribution and regulation units, star trackers, reaction wheels and electric propulsion systems. With 396 environmental and functional tests carried out after system integration, we verified the suitability of our satellite for space conditions and launch conditions. We have become one of the 11 countries that can produce their own communication satellites with all these capabilities. Türkiye is in the top 11 in the A team in satellite technologies. On June 4, we carried out the transportation of our satellite to the launch site and our friends completed the pre-launch control tests, refueling activities and integration works with the launch vehicle.”
On the road to a fully independent Türkiye, our work in space will continue with even greater strength.”
TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, together with Minister of Transportation Abdülkadir Uraloğlu and TÜBİTAK Space team, was at Space X's launch center at Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA.
He first went to the closest pre-launch site and made a connection to the ground station at TÜBİTAK UZAY.
Mandal thanked those working for TÜRKSAT 6A for their efforts, emphasizing the difficulty of the mission and said: “We tried to do many of our works in the size, power and technology of times 3, times 5, times 8. And the point we have reached is a great success. In 14 days, we will reach the orbit where acceptance tests will be conducted. Then we will stay in this orbit for 3 months. Then, after 3 months, we will go to the main mission orbit where we will perform the mission at 42 degrees. The satellite will be delivered at the end of the year.”
Mandal said, “We will strive to use this competence and skill we have both to build our own new satellites and to bring them to friendly and allied geographies and countries. Therefore, it is really pleasing for me to witness this as the head of a tour.”
Prof. Dr. Mandal, who followed the launch of TÜRKSAT 6A with the protocol in the USA, experienced great enthusiasm after the successful launch, saying, “I congratulate our team. I congratulate our team. May God not embarrass them.”
“Endless thanks to everyone who contributed to TÜRKSAT 6A, the product of 10 years of hard work, the picture of our dreams and goals in space, and the indicator of the power of the National Technology Move. With this success, Türkiye has become one of the 11 countries that designed and produced its own national communication satellite.” Mandal said, ”Our work in space on the path to a fully independent Türkiye will continue with further strengthening. As TÜBİTAK, we will continue to work non-stop to fly our flag in the darkness of space with the technologies we have developed. TÜRKSAT 6A, Godspeed!
Domestic and National TÜRKSAT 6A
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and TÜRKSAT AŞ were the client organizations in the project, while TÜBİTAK UZAY was the project manager and ASELSAN, TAI and C2TECH were the project executing organizations. With the equipment developed by Turkish engineers at the project manager and executing organizations, the TÜRKSAT 6A satellite achieved a localization rate of over 80 percent.
The project, for which the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and TÜBİTAK were the funding institutions, was carried out in accordance with the legislation of TÜBİTAK KAMAG 1007 Public Institutions Research and Development Projects Support Program.
The TÜRKSAT 6A project was launched on December 15, 2014 with the aim of developing Türkiye's first domestic communication satellite. In addition to project management and system engineering, TÜBİTAK UZAY was responsible for the development of the power, satellite management, orbit and orientation control and electric propulsion subsystems, TAI for the development of the structural, thermal, cabling and chemical propulsion subsystems, ASELSAN for the development of the payload and CTECH for the development of the telecommunications/telemetry and distance measurement subsystem.
Many equipment used in the satellite were developed locally within the scope of the project
The project included nine platform subsystems, one payload subsystem and one payload subsystem provided by the government. For the Flight Model of the project only, a total of 84 indigenously developed equipment of 23 different types, including many critical equipment such as flight computers, power regulation units, power distribution units, reaction wheels, solar sensors, star trackers, electric propulsion motors, and thousands of main components were produced; 396 different environmental and functional tests were carried out for this equipment, as well as the design and production of many components such as structural units, RF filters and adapters. At TÜBİTAK UZAY alone, 318 electronic cards were produced, 111 of which were of different types. The TÜRKSAT 6A project also made a great contribution to Türkiye’s trained personnel and experience in the field of space. At the peak of the project, the number of personnel working in the management and executing organizations increased to over 400.
Thanks to large-scale space projects such as TÜRKSAT 6A, the number of people working in the space sector has increased, the personnel who will take part in our country's future space projects have gained experience, and the development infrastructure and know-how have been expanded.
For 15 years, it will meet the country's communication needs
TÜRKSAT 6A, which will meet a significant portion of the country's communication needs for 15 years, will be positioned at 42 degrees east longitude at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers. With TÜRKSAT 6A, which can generate up to 9.2 kilowatts of power and weighs 4,250 kilograms, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, which are not served by existing communication satellites, will be covered by TÜRKSAT.
With the launch of TÜRKSAT 6A, the population reached by satellites will increase from 3.5 billion to 5 billion, while TÜRKSAT's satellite service exports to the region are expected to increase significantly.
Türkiye, one of the few countries capable of producing communication satellites, is also targeted to become a satellite exporter after the TÜRKSAT 6A experience.
