The electric propulsion motor that moves the 4.2 ton satellite, the starizzler that detects its direction and position, the reaction wheel that allows the satellite to change direction, are implemented with human resources from Turkey.
Minister of Industry and Technology, Mustafa Varank, during the review of national and national components of TURKSAT 6A, which is expected to start space travel in 2023, said: “We will continue our efforts to make Turkey a country that exports satellite technologies and sells satellites, including integrated systems. ” said.
in orbit in 2023
Turksat A.Ş. Developed under the leadership of TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute (UZAY) with the participation of companies such as TAI, ASELSAN and C-tech, the TÜRKSAT 6A satellite will take its place in orbit in 2023. Minister Varank reviewed TÜRKSAT 6A, whose the testing and integration processes continue, on site. Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. Visiting the Space Systems Integration and Test Center (USET) within the Corps of (TUSAŞ), Minister Varank was accompanied by TÜBİTAK President Hasan Mandal and TÜBİTAK Institute Director UZAY Mesut Gokten.
300 people working
During the investigations, Minister Varank was informed that TÜRKSAT 6A will start functional and environmental tests in May. Varank asked how many people were working on the project, saying that for the satellite to be sent into space, 2 satellites had to be manufactured and tested beforehand. Officials said an average of 300 people, including contractors and subcontractors, worked on the project.
Stargazers and the reaction wheel
Varank also reviewed national and domestic components to be used in TURKSAT 6A one by one. It has been stated that astronomers find their way through space by looking at the stars and understand where the Earth is, while the reaction wheel allows the satellite to look in the desired direction and change direction while preserving momentum. satellite kinetics.
Emphasis on “qualified human resources”
Varank said they faced the criticism “There are problems in the country, is it time to do space work” and said, “I give them the following answer. We have so many trained human resources Will we just offer them the alternative of going overseas or the alternative of working off the pitch? We’ve had satellites so far, but we’ve bought them all overseas. With these satellites that we have developed, we leave the added value here and acquire this capability.”
5-6 countries in the world can do
Explaining that one of the most important national and national technologies of TÜRKSAT 6A is the electric propulsion motor, Varank said, “It is a technology in which you steer the satellite with electric propulsion technology without using of chemical fuel. There are 5-6 countries in the world that can do this. They integrated it into TÜRKSAT 6A. This technology will also be used in IMECE,” he said.
Izmir fuel tank
Emphasizing that they are not only developing the technology with TÜBİTAK UZAY, but also bringing in local suppliers, Varank said, “Thus, we are providing them with new opportunities in economic terms. A company from Izmir developed this fuel tank. Our company, which has never operated in this field before, will have used the fuel tank in space. With the electric propulsion engine, it becomes possible to move the 4.2 ton communication satellite with the propulsion engine you see here. Evaluating the visit later, Varank said:
“It will be launched into space in 2023: We have come to visit our friends who produce the Turkish domestic and national communication satellite TÜRKSAT 6A. We are in front of our satellite which will be launched into space in 2023. Space is an area where countries are in the great competition and competition and the military race has now moved into space.
National Space Program: As Turkey, we announced in which areas Turkey should develop capabilities in the next 10 years with our National Space Program. The development of satellites is also one of the areas close to our hearts. Both our IMECE satellite and TÜRKSAT 6A are important projects in terms of human resources trained in this area and also for our newly trained human resources.
At 36,000 km altitude: TÜRKSAT 6A will be used as a communication satellite at 36,000 km altitude. When developing this satellite, there is a list of domestic and domestic components that we produced ourselves. The satellite consists of many different structures. We used to be a country that had the capacity to test and integrate its own satellite.
All integrated systems are national: with TURKSAT 6A, we have made components ranging from reaction wheels to solar collectors and astronomers, entirely at national and national level, with our own engineers and technicians, and we have built our satellite.
Technology exports Turkey: Sending our satellite into space in 2023 will provide us with very good capabilities. We will continue our efforts to make Turkey a country that exports satellite technology and sells satellites, including integrated systems. »
It will take place in orbit in 2023
The TÜRKSAT 6A satellite will take its place in orbit in 2023. The experiences of the RASAT and GÖKTÜRK-2 projects have been used in TURKSAT 6A, which will be Turkey’s first domestic and national communication satellite. The satellite will be placed in geostationary orbit at 42 degrees east longitude. TÜRKSAT 6A will serve end users in much of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia as well as Turkey.
National components
Domestic and domestic components used in TURKSAT 6A are: Flight Computer, Power Distribution Unit, Electric Propulsion Motor, Fuel Tank, Power Processing and Control Unit, Fuel Supply Unit , Yıldızizler, power regulation unit, solar collector, reaction wheel, chemical propulsion, thermal control, response wheel interface units.