Making a speech at a ceremony for TÜRKSAT 5-B Satellite’s entry into service, Erdoğan said: “We have been taking steps to elevate our country to the level it deserves in every area from aerospace industry to developing our own satellites, preparing scientists for space programmes to sending vehicle to lunar surface. In this regard, satellite technology is one of the areas in which we make the biggest progress.”

Erdoğan noted that TÜRKSAT 3-A, launched in 2008, was still operational, and said: “We have sent other satellites to the ‘space homeland’ in the meantime. TÜRKSAT 4-A took its place in space in 2014 and TÜRKSAT 4-B in 2015. We are now adding new ones to them. Having launched TÜRKSAT 5-A and TÜRKSAT 5-B last year, we have become one of the few countries capable of sending two satellites to space in the same year.”

Highlighting that İMECE, Türkiye’s reconnaissance satellite developed by Turkish engineers, was scheduled to be launched in January 2023 and TÜRKSAT 6-A in mid-year 2023, Erdoğan said that the number of Turkish satellites in space would rise to 10.

“It is our debt of honor to defend, with the National Space Programme, our country’s rights in space just like on land, at sea and in air,” stated Erdoğan. “We have been taking steps to elevate our country to the level it deserves in every area from aerospace industry to developing our own satellites, preparing scientists for space programmes to sending vehicle to lunar surface. In this regard, satellite technology is one of the areas in which we make the biggest progress.” (ILKHA)