TürkmenÄlem 52°E / MonacoSAT
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | Turkmenistan National Space Agency |
| COSPAR ID | 2015-023A |
| SATCAT no. | 40617 |
| Mission duration | 15 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Spacebus |
| Manufacturer | Thales Group |
| Launch mass | 4,500 kilograms (9,900 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 27 April, 2015 23:03:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT[1]—formerly referred to as TurkmenSat 1[2]—is intended to be Turkmenistan's first satellite,[3] and is built by Thales Alenia Space. Scheduled for launch in 2015, the satellite has an anticipated service life of 15 years. The satellite will be launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9.[4] The satellite will cover Europe and significant part of Asian countries and Africa and will have transmission for TV, radio broadcasting and the internet.[5]
The satellite's operations will be controlled by a state-run Turkmenistan National Space Agency.[6]The satelite's official name is TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSat.
Launch prep history
The initial launch date of TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT was planned to be March 21, 2015. The original launch date was delayed to study a problem with a helium pressurization system on the Falcon 9 rocket. A new launch date was set for no earlier than 24 April 2015,[1][7] SpaceX clarified the reason for the delay: "the issue wasn’t with the [helium] bottles themselves, but rather other bottles from a similar lot that failed testing at the company’s assembly plant. ... We identified a potential condition that could be shared with those on board the Thales vehicle."[1] which was subsequently adjusted by three days to 27 April 2015.
Banning of satellite dishes in Turkmenistan
Despite the impending launch of TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT in April 2015, the Turkmen government banned all satellite dishes in Turkmenistan, also in April 2015. The statement issued by the government indicated that all existing satellite dishes would have to be removed or destroyed, in an effort by the government to fully block access of the population to many "hundreds of independent international media outlets which are currently accessible in the country only through satellite dishes, including all leading international news channels in different languages. The main target of this campaign is Radio Azatlyq, the Turkmen-language service of Radio Liberty/Free Europe. It is the only independent source of information about Turkmenistan and the world in the Turkmen language and is widely listened to in the country."[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "SpaceX Clarifies Reason For TurkmenAlem52E Launch Delay". ZeroG News. 2015-03-23. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ "Satellite Orders Report - 2011 Year-end Summary" (PDF). Futron. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ "Туркменистан: золотой век". Turkmenistan.gov.tm. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2015-03-08.
- ^ "SpaceX To Launch Turkmenistan's First Satellite". Forbes. 2013-06-22. Retrieved 2015-03-08.
- ^ "US Says SpaceX to Launch Turkmenistan's Maiden Satellite / Sputnik International". En.ria.ru. Retrieved 2015-03-08.
- ^ "Turkmenistan to launch first space satellite in 2014". En.trend.az. Retrieved 2015-03-08.
- ^ http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/03/21/spacex-swaps-order-of-next-two-falcon-9-launches/
- ^
Forrester, Chris (22 April 2015). "Satellite dishes banned in Turkmenistan". Advanced Television. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
he government is demanding all dishes to be removed from apartments of private properties and has fully "prohibited" their use. ...almost every home in the nation has a dish, legally acquired over the past 20 years of satellite broadcasting.
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