Antonov delivers Türksat 6A satellite to Florida for launch by SpaceX

Antonov Airlines in cooperation with Proair, delivered a satellite and related equipment from Ankara, Turkey to Florida, USA.

"The satellite was transported in a special container fixed to the frame. For loading the piece into the cargo cabin of the AN-124-100, a low-profile cargo ramp was used in combination with external cranes. The entire air transport mission lasted 39 hours," says an official release from Antonov.

Vladyslav Ishchuk, Commercial Executive, Antonov says: "For our cargo loading department, this project became a challenge. There were doubts about the possibility of loading the satellite on board the AN-124-100 because of the height of the container - 414.6 cm, while the size of the cargo door cabin is 440 cm. Also, we understood the importance of this transportation and did everything possible to successfully complete this mission. We thank our partners and customers for their trust and effective cooperation."

The Türksat 6A satellite is the first geostationary communication satellite built in Turkey, which is aimed at expanding the country's space capabilities, the release added. The logistics of the mission was planned for six months, and it was a must to carry out the transportation exactly on time for the launch.

“It was a great honour for us to be a part of such an important project for our country and to provide services to Tübitak Space," says Muhammet Davut Yüce, Managing Director, Proair Aviation & Charter Türkiye. "In this project, which required much more detailed work than traditional charter flights, every aspect of the process was meticulously handled, and our excitement persisted until the very last material was unloaded from the aircraft. We extend our gratitude to Tübitak Uzay and all stakeholders for placing their trust in us."

The Turksat 6A satellite will serve end users in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and much of the Asian continent as well as Turkey, the release added.