Türkiye's first domestic and national communication satellite, TÜRKSAT 6A, was put into service at a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This historic development elevated Türkiye to one of the 11 countries that can design and produce its own communication satellite. President Erdoğan said, “We launched TÜRKSAT 6A into space on July 9, 2024, and made its first test broadcast on February 17. Thank God, all processes were completed smoothly and without any problems. Now we are experiencing the happiness of putting our satellite into service.”
Pride of Local and National Production
President Erdoğan thanked all institutions and organizations, especially the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Turkish Space Agency, Türksat, TÜBİTAK UZAY, ASELSAN, TUSAŞ and CTECH engineers, who contributed to the success of the project, and said, “With TÜRKSAT 80A, which we developed using 84 domestic equipment with a local content rate of over 6 percent, Turkey has become one of the 11 countries that can produce its own communication satellite.” This success is of great importance for national security, especially in terms of reducing external dependency in critical technologies such as communication satellites.
Turksat's Satellite Fleet Expands
With the entry into service of TÜRKSAT 6A, the number of communication satellites operated by TÜRKSAT has increased to six, and the total satellite presence in space has increased to ten. The new geosynchronous satellite will provide critical services such as television broadcasting and emergency communication in a wide geography. President Erdoğan also emphasized that TÜRKSAT 6A provides a significant backup capacity for uninterrupted television broadcasting.
The Product of Long and Difficult Work
Stating that TÜRKSAT 6A is the result of a meticulous study spanning 20 years in line with the goal of producing domestic and national technology, Erdoğan conveyed that with the Technology Transfer Program implemented in this process, Türksat engineers were enabled to take part in the production of 3A, 4A and 4B satellites. Expressing that 5 Turkish engineers were directly involved in the design, production and testing processes of the production of 5A and 12B satellites in the ongoing process, Erdoğan said that with these studies and experiences spanning years, many critical thresholds in the field of space technologies were exceeded and the possibility, ability and experience to produce the TÜRKSAT 6A satellite with the highest local content rate was reached. Erdoğan said, “Despite those who said ‘we can’t do it,’ we said ‘we can do it, and we can even do it better.’ We never listened to those who instilled pessimism and those who lost hope in their own country and nation.”
Service Area and Population are Increasing
Noting that the area served by Türksat will expand to include India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia with the domestic and national communication satellite, Erdoğan said, “The population reached by our satellites worldwide will increase from 3,5 billion to 5 billion. Thanks to technology transfer and experience gain, our country will now have a significant market share in the design and production of satellites and their components.” This situation is considered an important step that will increase Türkiye’s competitive power in the international arena in the field of space technologies.
Satellite Production Ecosystem and Human Resources
It was stated that in addition to having a domestic and national communication satellite platform with this revolutionary project, a satellite production ecosystem was established with the participation of main stakeholders and subcontractors, and many institutions and organizations were provided to contribute to the space industry. It was emphasized that qualified human resources were trained for satellite and space technologies thanks to dozens of engineers and personnel who took an active role in all stages of the project. It was stated that an internationally competitive level was reached with the equipment developed by the project stakeholders and export capacity was strengthened. It was also stated that the launch process was managed by Türksat.
Türkiye Opens a New Page in Space Studies
Stating that Türkiye has risen to an important position in space studies and satellite broadcasting with a coverage area that appeals to more than 60 percent of the world's population, Erdoğan said that with the gains and activities achieved, an important opportunity has been seized in terms of creating a national satellite brand and establishing a national space company. Stating that this accumulation will be used in future moon and deep space missions, communication satellites and constellation satellite projects, Erdoğan stated that the bar will be constantly raised and goals will be achieved.
Minister Uraloğlu: “Türkiye is Starting a New Era in Space”
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu also emphasized in his speech at the ceremony that TÜRKSAT 6A was a historic moment that reinforced Türkiye’s independence in space. Uraloğlu said, “Today, by putting TÜRKSAT 80A, which was produced with 84 domestic equipment with a local content rate of over 6%, into service, we have moved Türkiye into the ranks of 11 countries in the world that can design and produce a communications satellite.” Uraloğlu stated that TÜRKSAT 6A is not just a satellite, but a seal of Türkiye’s engineering, labor, and vision engraved in space. Reminding that they provide service to a population of 5 billion with the current 3,5 active satellites, Uraloğlu stated that with TÜRKSAT 6A, the population served has increased to over 5 billion by reaching new geographies such as India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and that this means a Turkey that has reached over 65% of the world’s population. Minister Uraloğlu also announced the good news that the preparation work for the 7th series of communication satellites has begun.
