Turkish 5A Satellite Enters Into Orbit At 31° East

Turkey's new communications satellite Turksat 5A has entered into orbit at 31° East, said the country's transportation minister on Tuesday.

With a 30-year lifetime, Turkey's fifth-generation satellite was launched by technology company SpaceX in January.

"Turksat 5A will have a month-long test run and become operational after June," Adil Karaismailoglu told Anadolu Agency.

When the satellite is put into service, it will cover Turkey and Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Mid-West and South Africa as well as the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea, he noted.

He said the satellite will push Turkey into the league of nations using the advanced Ku-Band in television broadcasting and data communication services.

The satellite can serve the fields of TV broadcasting and communication for more than 30 years thanks to the electric propulsion system, he said.

He went on to say that Turkey's communication satellite traffic will increase in the future.

"We aim to launch the Turksat 5B communication satellite, which is nearing the end in its production processes, into space in the fourth quarter of this year."

As of Jan. 8, 2021, the number of active Turkish satellites in Earth orbit has reached seven.

*Writtten by Aysu Bicer -