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Turksat showcases communication satellite scheduled to launch this year

Turksat 5A, which will be launched by SpaceX, is expected to have more than 30 years of life in orbit.

Turksat satellite communications provider Turksat showcased its communication satellite Turksat 5A for the first time on the second day of the Global Satellite & Space Show.

The Turksat 5A was broadcast live for the first time in the webinar programme titled “Turksat 5A and its Opportunities”.

The webinar programme, moderated by television programmer Hakan Çelik, was attended by Türksat Deputy GM Hasan Hüseyin Ertok, Space Systems and Telecom Satellites President François Gaullier from Airbus D&C, which produces Türksat 5A, and SpaceX Commercial Launch Director Stephanie Bednarek.

Turksat 5A, which is scheduled for launch in later this year by SpaceX, is expected to have more than 30 years of life in orbit.

In late 2017, Airbus was awarded the contract for the Türksat 5A and 5B telecommunication satellites, which are based on the latest Electric Orbit Raising (EOR) version of its highly-reliable Eurostar E3000 platform.

Speaking on the Global Satellite & Space Show webcast, Hasan Huseyin Ertok, VP at Turksat, said that Turksat 5A will carry 42 Ku-band transponders, and be located at a somewhat unused Turkish orbital slot at 31 degrees East.

Turkey is also itself building its own Turksat 6A craft for launch in 2022 and there’s another Airbus under construction Turksat 5B, for launch next year, also by SpaceX.