Türkiye’s first domestically produced communications satellite, Türksat 6A, has completed its first year in orbit, demonstrating the country’s growing capacity in space technology, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Tuesday.
Launched on July 9, 2024, Türksat 6A has become "a symbol of Türkiye’s commitment to engineering, science and technological production," Uraloğlu said.
Work on the satellite spanned around a decade before its deployment. "The Turksat 6A project will offer Türkiye new opportunities in many areas, such as communications, the defense industry, scientific discoveries and global data infrastructure. During the year that our satellite has been in space, we made significant contributions to human resources development and acquired national satellite experience," he added.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), he said the satellite has boosted employment in the space industry, noting that work on the project began with the establishment of the Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) Space Systems Assembly, Integration and Test Center.
Uraloğlu shared that more than 80% of the satellite’s components are domestically manufactured. "The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK) developed the space satellite management unit, reaction wheel, and electronic propulsion subsystem," Uraloğlu said.
He added that Turkish defense industry giant Aselsan supplied the system's receiver, antenna, Inertial Network and Electronics Terminal (INET) and payload interface unit. CTech, an Istanbul-based subsidiary of TAI since 2018, provided the telemetry transponder, telecommand receiver and antenna system test adapters, while TAI contributed the battery panel and cabling systems.
Türksat 6A was shipped to SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral facility in Florida for its scheduled launch on July 9, 2024. After six propulsion maneuvers, it reached its designated mission orbit at 42 degrees East on Dec. 28, 2024.
"The first test broadcast from the satellite was conducted on Feb. 17, 2025, so it has been verified," Uraloğlu said. "The satellite was officially put into service on April 21, 2025, at a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and it will contribute to our country’s space and communications capacity with a wide coverage area."
He emphasized that Türksat 6A is designed for a lifespan of over 15 years, increasing Türkiye's constellation of communications satellites to six. "The satellite will provide television broadcasting and emergency communications to a wider area," he said.
Highlighting the achievement, he said that with the development of Turksat 6A and that Türkiye now stands among the 11 countries capable of producing communications satellites.
Uraloğlu noted that an export agreement was signed at the CABSAT 2025 conference in Dubai between Turksat and a Dubai-based firm to provide services via Türksat 6A to Western and South Asian countries.
"Countries like India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have been included in the service coverage area via this export agreement. This is the first time Türksat satellites provided access to these regions, marking a key milestone in the integration of a domestically developed satellite into the international market," he said. "Türksat can now reach 65% of the world’s population, or 5 billion people, via its satellite fleet."
Preparations underway for Türksat 7A
Uraloğlu also confirmed that planning for Türkiye's next-generation satellite, Türksat 7A, is already underway. Construction began following a new protocol signed on June 19 between the country's sole satellite operator and the Presidency of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications Research Center, which is affiliated with the Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry.
"The Türksat 7A project was launched as Türksat 3A nears the end of its life,” he said. "Türksat 7A will be equipped with higher data capacity, a wider coverage area, and a ‘flexible’ payload technology, allowing it to dynamically manage resources and provide flexible services across regions.”
The deployment of Turksat 7A is planned for 2029, he added.