Türksat Satellites Will Shape the Future

General Manager at Türksat AŞ Cenk Şen

With the 5A satellite, Turkey will provide TV broadcasting and satellite communication services to the Middle East and Africa.

Through the investments of Türksat AŞ, 3 billion people living in 118 countries of Asia, Europe, and Africa receive effective communication services by accessing satellite capacity. Türksat continues its mission of ensuring independent, uninterrupted, and secure communication non-stop. For Turkey’s communication needs, Türksat 5A will be launched before the end of 2020 and 5B in the second quarter of 2021.

The Scope of Türksat 5A and 5B Projects

Türksat 5A and 5B satellites will be used to protect our rights in 31° East orbit and provide new communication solutions. We also aim to provide back up for our satellites in the 42° East orbit, to increase the number of countries we serve, and to provide advanced communication facilities to sea, land, and air vehicles. Both satellites are produced at the facilities of Airbus D&S company in France and England.

Türksat 5A

Türksat 5A satellite will be at the 31° East orbit and provide services at the Ku frequency band covering Turkey, the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and South Africa. With a launched mass around 3 thousand and 400 kg, the satellite will have a 10 kW useful load. Service and communication modules of 5A satellite are completed and both sections are mechanically joined. While the assembly of the satellite’s antennas is completed, the space-adaptation performance and environmental tests are still ongoing. Türksat 5A satellite is planned to be launched in the last quarter of 2020.

Türksat 5B

Türksat 5B that will be at the 42° East orbit is a communication satellite with the Ku and Ka-frequency band. 5B will serve at broad geography covering Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, Northeast Africa, Nigeria, South Africa, the majority of the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. With a 4 thousand and 500 kg loaded mass, the satellite will have 12 kW useful load.

Service module production and communication equipment integration of the module have been completed. In the next stage, both modules will be joined, and the space-adaptation performance tests will be started. 5B satellite is aimed to be launched in the second quarter of 2021.

The Outcomes of the Project

• The new generation “electric propulsion system” was used to produce Türksat 5A and 5B communication satellites. Therefore, the manoeuvre lifetimes of the satellites will be more than 30 years.

• With the launching of 5A and 5B satellites, the new Ku-band frequency rights will be obtained at 31° East and 42° East orbits. In addition, 5A and 5B satellites will protect the existing orbit and frequency rights as well as provide new frequency rights to next generation Türksat satellites.

• With the 5A satellite, Turkey will provide TV broadcasting and satellite communication services to the Middle East and Africa as well as the east and west coverage areas. The satellite will bring additional capacity to the existing television broadcasting.

• With the 5B satellite, 27 different countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, and Libya, and certain regions in Turkey without Internet service due to the lack of infrastructure will receive high-speed Internet service.