Turkish Space Agency: Orbiter Tests Underway

Educational Sciences Schools; Online as part of Space Week on October 4-10. Organized the ‘Online Space Symposium’. Taking place as a speaker at the symposium, Turkish Space Agency (TUA) Space Sciences Department Head Prof. Dr. İbrahim Küçük talked about what Turkey has done in the field of space studies.

In his speech, “In February this year, President Erdoğan himself introduced the National Space Programme. He set 10 goals. Küçük said that the first of these targets is the Moon mission.

TUA continues its activities in accordance with the rules set by the United Nations.

Küçük stated that TUA is on the civilian side of Turkey’s space and related activities when considering both the civilian and military aspects of producing and sending satellites. Küçük also underlined that TUA aims to continue its work within the framework of the resolutions determined by the United Nations (UN) for the peaceful use of space.

Küçük said, “So there are telescopes consisting of a lens and separate systems. However, Erciyes University Observatory and Atatürk University Eastern Anatolia Observatory are different from the others. We have a satellite dish and a radio telescope at Erciyes University. On the other hand, Eastern Anatolia Observatory is newly established. We will have a telescope with a mirror diameter. In other words, this is almost the largest telescope in Europe,” he said, emphasizing that observations are made in the optical region at observatories.

Noting that space activities in Turkey mostly depend on universities, Küçük said that after the Kandilli Observatory, which was first established in 1868, Istanbul University Observatory in 1935, Ankara University Observatory in 1963, Ege University Observatory in 1965, Çukurova in 1991. University UZAYMER, TÜBİTAK National Observatory in 1997, ÇOMÜ Ulupınar Astrophysical Observatory in 2002, Erciyes University Observatory in 2009, İnönü University Observatory in 2012, Adıyaman University Observatory in 2015 and finally Atatürk University Eastern Anatolia Observatory in 2019. mentioned the establishment of

“Test studies are carried out on the vehicle that will reach the lunar orbit”

Regarding current space activities and goals, Küçük said, “We need to reach the Moon. Let’s reach the Moon somehow and then land a vehicle there. We aim to reach the Moon. We aim to send a Turkish astronaut to the International Space Station. “We are currently trying to develop it. There are very important breakthroughs in this regard. For example, at the moment, test studies are being carried out on the vehicle that will go to the Moon or the vehicle that will reach the lunar orbit.”

Regarding the TÜRKSAT 6A satellite project work that started at the end of 2014, Küçük said, “There are 20 band transmitters on our satellite. Thanks to these transmitters, you will be able to receive television broadcasts. 16 of them are original and 4 of them are spare. TÜRKSAT 6A has a service life of 15 years. In addition, the satellite will have 16 years of fuel. This way, if the satellite is still able to operate even though it has reached its service life, it will be able to continue its mission for 1 more year. A satellite of over 4 tons. The largest satellite built in Turkey before was GÖKTÜRK-2. However, it weighed 400 kilograms. “TÜRKSAT 6A is 10 times bigger than it. A large part of it is fuel,” he said.