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SpaceX to launch Turkey's 1st indigenous communications satellite

September 17, 2021 at 2:35 pm

A Falcon 9 rocket with a Crew Dragon capsule launches from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States on 15 September 2021. [Paul Hennessy – Anadolu Agency]

Turkey’s first indigenous communications satellite Turksat 6A, which is due to be completed in 2022, will be launched by the US-based space firm SpaceX, Anadolu reports.

After looking into the offers provided by a number of companies, it was decided that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is the “best option” in terms of both technical, administrative and financial aspects, Adil Karaismailoglu, the Turkish transport and infrastructure minister, said in a press release today.

Turksat and SpaceX have signed an agreement in this regard, he added.

The minister noted the satellite’s production, integration and test phases are conducted in the Space Systems Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) Center.

The project will make Turkey one of the ten countries that can produce its own communications satellite, he added.

The satellite is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2023.

Turksat 5A satellite was also launched by SpaceX in January 2021.

READ: Is TurkStream a threat to Turkey’s relationship with the US?