TürkSat-6a at 42° East
| Position: | 42° East |
| Manufacturer: | GSatcom |
| Operator: | Türksat |
| Launch operator: | SpaceX |
| Launch vehicle: | Falcon 9 |
| Launch date: | 07/08/2024 |
| Expected lifetime: | 15+ Years |
TürkSat-6a at 42° East will be operated by satellite operator Türksat from Turkey. The satellite was ordered in 2014 from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and will be the first geostationary communications satellite to be built in Türkey by newly formed GSatcom, a joint venture between INVAP from Argentina and TAI.
TürkSat-6a at 42° East is covering Türkey and West- and Eastern Europe and will feature 16 Ku-band transponders for commercial and civil telecommunications and two X-band transponders for military communications. In 2014 Anselan Electronic Industries of Türkey in contracted with MDA Corp. of Canada to provide the X-band payload. Development and construction of the satellite started in early 2015 and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Launch was planned for June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket operated by SpaceX, and finally launched on July 8th, 2024.
Türksat Satellite Communications and Cable TV Operations is the communications satellite operator in Turkey. It was founded on 21 December 1990 as a government company named Türksat Milli Haberleşme Uyduları (Türksat National Communications Satellites) in Gölbaşı, Ankara Province, eventually also incorporating the satellite services of Türk Telekomünikasyon A.Ş. and becoming Türksat A.Ş. on 22 July 2004.
Türksat A.Ş. also owns 100% of the shares of Eurasiasat S.A.M., jointly established as a spin-off company with Aérospatiale in 1996 to manufacture and launch Türksat-2A (Eurasiasat-1) in 2001. Türksat has its satellite operations located at the Gölbaşı Earth Station in Ankara.
TürkSat-6a at 42° East
