Türkiye's communication satellite Türksat 6A reaches designated orbit, marking historic milestone

FLORIDA, US AND ANKARA, TÜRKİYE (RELEASED ON DEC. 28, 2024) (TURKISH MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE – ACCESS ALL) Türkiye's Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced on Saturday that Türksat 6A, the country's first domestically produced communication satellite, has successfully entered its permanent geosynchronous orbit at 42 degrees east.“After six launches, Türksat 6A has arrived at its designated orbit. We plan to complete the testing process and put the satellite into service in the first quarter of 2025,” he announced in a statement posted on X.Uraloglu reminded that Türksat 6A, which began its journey on July 9 from SpaceX's Cape Canaveral launch center, had reached its temporary orbit at 50 degrees east on July 20.During this time, the satellite underwent and passed payload tests. The satellite has now settled into its final orbit, 35,786 kilometers above Earth, following a final adjustment on December 27 at around 05:00 Türkiye time, he added.(Footage by /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)