Built largely at home and designed for adaptability, Türksat 6A signals a new chapter for Türkiyes space ambitions, blending a national engineering achievement with global commercial aspirations. Speaking to Vijaya Cherian, Türksat CEO Ahmet Hamdi Atalay outlines the journey behind 6A and what it means for Türkiyes future in space.
When Türksat 6A was commissioned on April 21, 2025, in a ceremony attended by Türkiyes President, it marked far more than the activation of another communications satellite. For Türksat and for Türkiye, it was the culmination of nearly two decades of ambition: to shift from being a satellite user to a satellite developer and operator. With a localisation rate exceeding 80%, Türksat 6A is the countrys first fully domestically developed communications satellite, placing Türkiye among a select group of nations with the capability to independently build satellites for geostationary orbit.
This milestone is both technological and symbolic, says Türksat CEO Ahmet Hamdi Atalay. It demonstrates not only our technological capacity but also our engineering and industrial competence, and our vision to develop indigenous satellites. With 6A, Türkiye has elevated its position in space technologies.
A first of its kind
The Türksat 6A project united some of Türkiyes most advanced institutions and companies, including TÜB?TAK UZAY, ASELSAN, TUSA?, and CTECH, all working alongside Türksat to design and produce critical subsystems. For the first time, national solutions were developed for core technologies like satellite control units, antenna systems, electric propulsion and power distribution systems. Hundreds of engineers and specialists took part in the process, significantly expanding the domestic production ecosystem.
But building the countrys first satellite almost entirely at home came with challenges. One of the biggest challenges was the inherent uncertainty of doing many things for the first time, Atalay reflects. Developing all subsystems using national resources, optimising production processes, and executing integration with high precision required great technical discipline and coordination. Through close cooperation with our project partners, we overcame these challenges. The successful completion of orbital tests stands as evidence of the strong engineering foundation underpinning the project.
From testing to full operation
After its launch, Türksat 6A was positioned in a test orbit at 50° East on July 20, where it underwent extensive subsystem testing covering everything from power, satellite management, orbit control and several different propulsion subsystem tests including chemical, electric, telemetry, thermal control and payload performance. Having passed each stage, it was moved to its final position at 42° East. Following a successful broadcast trial on February 17, 2025, Türksat 6A was officially commissioned on April 21 and is now fully operational.
Today, Türksat 6A supports a wide array of services, including television broadcasting, broadband data, emergency communications during disasters, and secure connectivity for public institutions. It also strengthens Türksats network security and service continuity by providing backup for existing broadcasting satellites. In this sense, it should be regarded not only as a communication satellite but also as a critical component of our national security infrastructure, says Atalay.
Expanding Türkiyes reach
Operating from its orbital slot at 42° East, Türksat 6A significantly expands the operators coverage footprint. Covering densely populated countries such as India, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia along the belt from Europe to South Asia, Türksat now reaches a potential user base of 5bn people in coordination with our other satellites. This expansion opens up brand-new commercial and strategic opportunities for Türksat.
What we have achieved is not just technological prowess, but the product of collective national will – Ahmet Hamdi Atalay, CEO, Türksat
The addition of 6A brings Türksats active satellite fleet to six, significantly boosting both coverage and capacity. It also represents a shift in infrastructure, building on the fifth-generation Türksat 5A and 5B platforms but now strengthened by domestically produced technologies.
Preparing for the next wave
While Türksat 6A is equipped with next-generation features such as electric propulsion, advanced data transmission infrastructure and remote configuration capabilities, Atalay sees it as a stepping stone toward the next wave of innovation. Technologies like software-defined payloads and AI-assisted operations are expected in our next generation of satellites. These advanced technologies are strongly represented in Türksats upcoming roadmap. But 6A is a major step in that direction.
The satellite was designed with adaptability in mind, both structurally and in terms of ground control systems. Features such as remote configurability and dynamic frequency and coverage management allow it to easily adjust to varying scenarios, says Atalay.
This flexibility is especially critical in time-sensitive and location-specific situations like disaster communications. The satellite is fully systems and edge computing, are all central to its roadmap. We are developing hybrid solutions that combine the speed and low latency of LEO with the reliability and capacity of GEO. Additionally, cloud-supported ground systems, software-defined networks, and edge computing capabilities are enabling us to deliver smarter and more scalable services, Atalay confirms.
Powered by people
While Türksat 6A is a landmark in local engineering, Atalay emphasises that its foundation lies in human capital. The success of Türksat 6A is rooted in years of accumulated knowledge, determination and exceptional engineering effort. Our young engineers not only developed technology but also a vision. What we have achieved is not just technological prowess, but the product of collective national will, he says.
For Türksat, that collective will is now focused firmly on the future on exporting services, cultivating new talent, and building the next generation of satellites that will carry Türkiye even further into the global space economy.
Türksat at IBC2025
Türksats ambitions extend well beyond Türkiyes borders. At this years IBC, the company is showcasing the Türksat 6A platform as part of a broader push to grow its international footprint in broadcasting, OTT, and telecommunications. Our goal is not just to promote 6A but to establish new partnerships and expand our solution portfolio globally. We hope to deliver integrated solutions for both civil and governmental needs, and increase the export of our services provider, concludes Atalay.
