Türkiye's first domestically developed and produced communications satellite, Türksat 6A, will be sent to the United States in June, a top official confirmed Tuesday ahead of its launch to space expected in July.
"Türkiye currently has five communications and four observation satellites in orbit, and we not only use them for our needs but also in providing services to other countries," Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said at the Space Systems Assembly, Integration and Test Center at the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) campus in Ankara.
"As of now, we cover Europe, the Middle East, the Turkic nations, parts of East Asia and a significant portion of Africa, mostly North Africa," noted Uraloğlu.
"Türksat 6A will increase satellite coverage, as it will cover India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, increasing our coverage of approximately 3.5 billion people to around 5 billion," he added.
Uraloğlu stressed that Türksat 6A was produced through domestic means and is set to launch in July.
"Communication is significant for us, especially military communication. Although we can currently provide such services, we had to develop our own solutions, so we made the Türksat 6A satellite, which is planned to be sent into space sometime between July 8 and 14," he added.
Türksat 6A has a 7.5-kilowatt power capacity and is planned to be positioned at 35,786 kilometers (22,236 miles) in a geocentric orbit, from where it will reach Southeast Asia, where existing satellites do not provide service.
Türksat currently operates five communication satellites: Türksat 3A, 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B, at 31 degrees, 42 degrees and 50 degrees in east orbits, reaching a population of 3.5 billion around the world. With the launch of Türksat 6A, countries such as India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia will be within Türkiye's coverage area.
This will increase the population reached by the country's satellites from 3.5 billion to more than 5 billion, which corresponds to 65% of the world's population. With the commissioning of Türksat 6A, the firm's satellite service exports to the region are planned to increase significantly.