Cape Canaveral, FL - SpaceX is set to launch the Turksat 6A satellite today, July 8, 2024, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The launch window is open from 5:20 p.m. to 9:43 p.m. EDT.
Credit: TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute
The Turksat 6A satellite is a Turkish communications satellite developed and produced indigenously by the TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute and Turkish Aerospace Industries. It will be Turkey's first fully domestically produced communications satellite.
The satellite will provide data relay for civil and military communications to the Anatolian peninsula, most of the European continent, the Middle East, and the westernmost part of the Russian Federation. It will operate at the 42° East orbital position, providing services to customers in Turkey, Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, India, and Indonesia.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Turksat 6A satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. The rocket will then land on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.
This launch is significant for both SpaceX and Turkey, as it marks the first time a Turkish satellite has been launched into space. The launch is also a testament to the growing capabilities of Turkey's space program.
The weather forecast for the launch is currently favorable, with a temperature of 88°F, light rain, 100% cloud cover, a wind speed of 13mph, and 0.29in of rain expected.
Spectators can view the launch from the Kennedy Space Center's Atlantis North Lawn, which is located to the left when approaching Space Shuttle Atlantis. The viewing area will open at 4:00 PM, and launch audio, video, and commentary by a space-expert communicator will be available.
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