Türkiye extends defense industry success into space sector

Turkey's Scientific and Technological Research Institute (TÜBİTAK) President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal stated that Turkey has carried its defense industry success into the space sector, describing the launch of Turksat 6A, Turkey's first domestically-developed communications satellite, as a significant development for Turkey and the region. [caption id="attachment_161619" align="aligncenter"] Turksat 6A[/caption] Mandal made comments to the Anadolu Agency at Cape Canaveral in Florida, where he attended the Turksat 6A satellite launch ceremony. Recalling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's statement that the "Turkish Century" would be centered on science and technology, Mandal said that these words have been concretized with Turksat 6A. Providing information on Turkey's space activities in recent times, Mandal noted that the observation satellite İMECE with sub-meter resolution was launched last year, Turkey's first crewed space mission was carried out at the beginning of the year, and a suborbital research flight was subsequently conducted. Mandal stated that Turkey's first domestically-developed communications satellite Turksat 6A will operate at an altitude of approximately 36,000 kilometers, saying that Turkey has secured an important position in space industry, technology and economy. Mandal remarked that space is the most important arena in competition between nations, stating: "Turkey has now transferred its defense industry success to the space sector. This is an important development for our country, our region and humanity." Next target: hard landing on the moon Mandal noted that the current satellite needs to establish a "track record" for new projects, and that while the first signal from Turksat 6A was successfully received, at least three months are needed to confirm that the satellite is fulfilling its mission. Emphasizing the importance of becoming qualified in space, Mandal noted that Turkey will be able to export successfully-operating satellite components or platforms. Mandal said: "We are now part of this economy in the satellite ecosystem, but we must set our targets even higher." Recalling that the next target in the National Space Program is a hard landing on the moon, Mandal stated: "At the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027, we will conduct a hard landing on the moon, followed by a soft landing within the next 2 years." Emphasizing that the Turksat 6A mission is part of Turkey's journey to maintain its presence in space, Mandal added that the subsequent target is to go to the moon, the target after that is crewed lunar missions and conducting operations in deep space.