Turksat 6A activity at SpaceX

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the pre-launch tests of Türksat 6A at SpaceX facilities in Florida, USA are nearing completion, stating, ‘We have reached the final stage of our country’s largest R&D project with a localization rate of over 80% and everything is progressing according to schedule. We will send our satellite into space within two weeks. Following the successful launch of Türksat 6A, which will be a milestone for our country, Turkey will enter a new era in space race.’
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu noted that Turkey’s first domestic communication satellite Türksat 6A is waiting for its launch day at SpaceX facilities in Florida, USA, and mentioned that the pre-launch tests are also nearing completion. Uraloğlu highlighted that the integration and tests of Türksat 6A were carried out at the Space Systems Integration and Test (USET) Center, established through the collaboration of Türksat and TUSAŞ over a 10-year period, emphasizing that Türksat 6A was produced with the highest localization rate with contributions from Türksat, TÜBİTAK Space, ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, and C2TECH.
To be launched by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Uraloğlu emphasized that the activities of the Türksat 6A Satellite Project are closely monitored by project stakeholders and relevant institutions in line with the project requirements and schedule. He mentioned that Türksat 6A, which will ensure redundancy for Türksat satellites and increase the existing capacity, arrived at SpaceX facilities on June 6th, with the pre-launch tests nearing completion. According to the current project schedule, we plan to send our Türksat 6A satellite into space with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in early July.
Highlighting the significance of Türksat 6A’s successful operation for Turkey, Uraloğlu stated that with this satellite, Turkey will have developed its first domestic communication satellite platform. He also mentioned that after the commissioning of Türksat 6A, which was produced with a localization rate of 81%, the satellite will gain space experience. Uraloğlu pointed out that every part of the satellite, which is domestically and nationally produced, will acquire satellite experience, enabling these parts produced in our country to be exported worldwide. This will not only make us a country that produces communication satellites but also a country that exports all satellite components. Every part produced can now be used for satellites with different mission payloads.
Minister Uraloğlu underlined the importance of producing critical components with local capabilities and reducing external dependency in the satellite and space sector also from a security perspective. He reminded that a communication satellite is worth approximately 250 million dollars, emphasizing the importance of this project for our country. Furthermore, Türksat 6A will also contribute significantly to creating a skilled workforce in the satellite industry. Through technology and experience gain, our country can have a significant market share in the design and production of satellites and components. After the successful commissioning of Türksat 6A, which will be a milestone for our country, Turkey will enter a new era in the space race.