Turkey joins elite group with launch of first homegrown communication satellite: summary

What we know

• Turkey successfully launched its first domestically-produced communications satellite, Turksat 6A in a move to expand the nation's satellite reach and meet its broadcasting demands.
• The satellite was launched on July 8 at 7:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
• President Tayyip Erdogan emphasised that the launch marked a new phase in Turkey's satellite production capabilities. He noted that Turksat 6A would significantly expand Turkey's satellite coverage, including regions such as India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
• According to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu the first signal from Turksat 6A was received 67 minutes after its launch, as planned. He explained that the satellite would extend Turkey's coverage to reach 5 billion people.
• Uraloglu also disclosed that the Turksat 6A was the result of a decade-long effort to domestically produce a satellite, making Turkey one of only 11 countries to have achieved this feat.
• In addition to this landmark achievement, Turkey made headlines earlier this year with its first manned space mission on January 18, 2024. Turkey’s Col. Alper Gezeravcı participated in the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. After a three-week mission to the International Space Station, Gezeravcı returned home to a hero's welcome.

What they said

Highlighting the importance of this achievement, Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, said "The Turksat 6A is the highest-value technology project produced by our country so far.” President Erdogan also said "As Turkey, we produced more than 81% of the subsystems, satellite ground stations, and software in the 6A project, which is of great importance for our country's future in space, with national resources."