Türkiye’s latest launch into orbit boosts its satellite count to 9

By Mustafa Calkaya

Turksat 6A, Türkiye’s first homegrown communications satellite, was launched this week into space as the result of 10 years of work, boosting the number of Türkiye’s active satellites to nine.

After successfully passing all tests, Turksat 6A was launched into space by Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket on Monday.

With the experience of the Turkish engineers who produced Turksat 6A, Türkiye became one of the few countries capable of producing communication satellites, and eventually looks to become a satellite exporter.

Turksat 1C, the successor of the first communications satellite Turksat 1B, was launched in 1996, followed by Turksat 2A in 2001, Turksat 3A in 2008, Turksat 4A in 2014, Turksat 4B in 2015, and Turksats 5A and 5B in 2021.

- Host of satellites

The IMECE Earth observation satellite, which launched from the US in 2023, is set to serve for five years, providing services from defense to disaster management, from the environment to urban planning, and from agriculture to forestry.

Gokturk-1, a favorite of the Turkish Armed Forces, which can conduct reconnaissance anywhere in the world and send high-resolution images, was launched into space in 2016.

Gokturk-2, produced under a contract signed by Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK), went into orbit in a 2012 launch.

The satellite provides for the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces, especially the Air Force Command.

RASAT, the first earth observation satellite designed and built in Türkiye, launched from Russia in 2011.

As a result, Tubitak Space Technologies Research Institute and Turkish Aerospace Industries gained infrastructure and capabilities while training specialized manpower to take part in future satellite projects.

*Writing by Sahika Olgun from Istanbul