SpaceX started 2021 by successfully launching the Turkish Communication Satellite, Turksat 5A with a Falcon 9 rocket booster. SpaceX launched the Turksat 5A from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:15 p.m. EST on January 7. This was the first space mission done by any country or agency in 2021.
8 minutes and 28 seconds after the lift-off, Falcon 9’s first stage landed on SpaceX’s drone ship, “Just Read the Instructions” which was stationed out in the Atlantic Ocean.
The launch was the fourth flight for Falcon 9’s B1060 booster. Previously, It sent an upgraded GPS III satellite for the U.S. Space Force and 2 batches of Starlink satellites. The mission was the 50th reflight of Falcon 9 since SpaceX landed a booster in 2015 first time.
Turksat 5A
Falcon 9 deployed the Turksat satellite into orbit after 33 minutes of its liftoff. It’ll take about 4 months to get into its planned altitude. Satellite weights 7,700-lb. (3,500 kilograms). It will make its journey towards altitude using onboard plasma thrusters. Thrusters electrify from solar panels on it.
Türksat 5A is mainly a communication satellite, which will be operated by Türksat A.Ş for military and commercial purposes. Turkish Aerospace Industries and Airbus Defense and Space manufactured the satellite. This is the first geostationary communications satellite of Turkey.
Satellite is designed to operate for 15 years and will provide communication and TV broadcasting services to Turkey, the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and portions of Africa. It will beam down coverage to the above areas because of it’s 42 Ku-band transponders.
Protests against Turksat 5A
There were some protests against SpaceX to stop the Turksat 5A in last 19 October 2020. They protested outside the headquarters of SpaceX in Hawthorne, California. They spoke out against Turkey and referred to their role in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan as the reason to shut down the launch.
Next Falcon 9 mission
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 will fly again in soon as January 14 for the Transporter-1 smallsat rideshare mission. The mission will bring 9 Canadian small satellites. According to SpaceX, the smallsat rideshare mission only costs $1 million to send 200 kilograms to Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). Thanks to this project, agencies, countries, and researchers can get their payload into orbit. Now you could reserve your ride with a payload from SpaceX online. Go through this.
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