Turkey launches first-made satellite in space

Turkey launched its first communications satellite, Turkishsat 6A, produced itself.

A SapceX company rocket carried it from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, U.S.A.

Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan said that launching this satellite into space marks a new <x0phase” for Turkey to produce satellites.

“As Turkey, we have produced more than 81% of subsystems, land satellite stations and software in the 6A project, which is of great importance for the future of our country in space, with national resources”, Erdogan said.

Turkey's Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the first signal from Turkstat 6A was taken 67 minutes after his departure, as planned.

“We have brought our communications, our television broadcasts to a safer and better level”, he said, adding that Turks 6A will now enable Turkey to reach India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Uraloglu said Turks 6A is the result of a 10-year effort to produce local satellite. With this step, Turkey has become one of the 11 countries that have achieved it, Uraloglu said. /rel