Türkiye commissions first indigenously-produced communications satellite Türksat 6A

Türkiye’s first domestically developed communications satellite, Türksat 6A, is set to be officially commissioned on April 21 during a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced.

In a written statement, Uraloğlu said that the commissioning of Türksat 6A would expand the coverage area of Türkiye’s satellite communications from 3.5 billion to 5 billion people, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

“This milestone confirms our nation's capability to produce its own communications satellite, placing Türkiye among only 11 countries globally with such capacity,” he said.

The development of Türksat 6A marks the culmination of nearly 20 years of work. The satellite was built by engineers who had previously worked on the Türksat 3A, 4A and 4B projects. Through Türksat's Technology Transfer Programme, engineers received specialised training in space technologies, enabling Türksat 6A to be produced with the highest domestic content to date.

Uraloğlu highlighted that over 84 locally-manufactured components were used in the satellite’s construction, with contributions from ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, TÜBİTAK Uzay and C2TECH. “Thanks to these parts gaining spaceflight heritage, the door is now open for their export to international markets,” he noted.

Describing the satellite as a critical project for national security, Uraloğlu underscored that Türksat 6A reduces Türkiye’s reliance on foreign technologies. The satellite was built, integrated, and tested at the Space Systems Integration and Test Centre at TUSAŞ facilities, with production completed in March 2024.

Türksat 6A was transported to the United States aboard an Antonov 124 aircraft on 4 June 2024, reaching SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral facilities the next day. It was successfully launched into orbit via a Falcon 9 rocket on July 9, 2024 at 02:30, separating from the carrier rocket 35 minutes later.

Following five manoeuvring burns, Türksat 6A was positioned temporarily in the 50°E orbital slot for testing. Subsystem tests, including those of experimental payloads, concluded successfully, with final payload testing completed on October 23, 2024.

After a 12-day journey involving six orbital burns, the satellite reached its final orbital slot at 42°E on 28 December 2024. All in-orbit tests, including coverage validation, have since been completed. Its operational capabilities were confirmed with a test broadcast on February 17, 2025.

Türksat currently operates five communications satellites—Türksat 3A, 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B—positioned at 31°, 42°, and 50° east orbital slots.

Today’s commissioning ceremony will take place at the Türksat Gölbaşı Campus with President Erdoğan in attendance. With Türksat 6A coming online, Türkiye will extend satellite communications coverage to previously unserved regions, including India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

“The satellite will serve for at least 15 years,” said Uraloğlu, “and its activation today marks a significant expansion in Türkiye’s global telecommunications footprint.”

Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun also marked the occasion with a social media statement, describing the commissioning as “a historic step” and a “tangible demonstration of Türkiye’s goal of full independence in space and communication technologies.”

“Türksat 6A’s entry into service will symbolise our aspiration for a pioneering and leading Türkiye in the Century of Türkiye,” he wrote.

By Aghakazim Guliyev