Delay for Turksat 5A launch
January 4, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Turkey’s much needed Turksat 5A was due to be launched by SpaceX from Florida on January 4th. Local reports say the launch has been delayed. The urgency to get the satellite into orbit is so that Turksat can secure the orbital rights for Turkey at 31 degrees East.
The SpaceX drone barge ‘Just Read The Instructions’, needed to permit the launch rocket its Atlantic Ocean landing, was returned to its home port at Port Canaveral.
The SpaceX launch, when it takes place, will be the first of 4 planned launches for January.
Turksat 5A was built by Airbus of Toulouse, France.
The Turksat launch will be followed up by two SpaceX launches each carrying around 60 Starlink satellites and taking the overall number of Starlink broadband satellites in orbit to about 1100.
SpaceX is also expected to carry out a mission to the International Space Station around January 14th.