SpaceX is gearing up for the launch of the Türksat 6A communications satellite on Monday afternoon, according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory. The launch is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Though SpaceX has not yet officially announced this mission, the Falcon 9 rocket is set to lift off at the specified time. Türksat 6A will provide data relay for civil and military communications across the Anatolian peninsula, most of the European continent, the Middle East, and the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, as reported by the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Visitor Complex.
The KSC Visitor Complex is offering viewing opportunities for spectators on a first-come, first-served basis from bleachers located 6.7 miles from the launch pad. The Falcon 9 rocket will follow a due east trajectory, and its first-stage booster will return to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
This launch follows previous successful missions by SpaceX, including the deployment of the Türksat 5B communications satellite in December 2021 and Türksat 5A in January 2021. Both satellites were placed into geostationary orbit 22,236 miles above Earth.
In a statement, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu highlighted the significant efforts behind the 6A satellite, noting that thousands of engineers contributed to its development. "Türkiye is now one of the 10 countries that builds its own communication satellites," Uraloğlu said. He underscored the importance of secure communication, particularly for military purposes, and emphasized that the 6A satellite will enhance Türkiye's capabilities in protecting its space assets.
"Communication is our most valuable asset, especially military communication is even more valuable. We are currently providing this, but in order to be safe and protect our space homeland, we will use the satellite that we produced and software for," Uraloğlu stated. (ILKHA)