ANKARA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The first Turkish homemade communications satellite, Turksat 6A, was sent into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Tuesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States.
With the launching, the country has entered a new phase in satellite production, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said while addressing the launching ceremony via video link.
"Our indigenous, national communications satellite 6A will ensure the backup of existing satellites and increase capacity," he said.
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the first signal from Turksat 6A was received 67 minutes after its launch, as planned, according to a Reuters report.
The satellite is set to reach its operational orbit of 35,786 km above the Earth's surface and undergo orbital tests for a month, according to the mission's website and the Turkish minister.
The satellite would serve at 42 degrees east longitude, expanding the coverage of Türkiye's communications services to 5 billion people, Uraloglu said in a statement on Monday.
In April 2023, Türkiye launched its first domestically designed and manufactured satellite IMECE into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from California in the United States. ■