The energy required by Türksat 6A is provided by solar panels

A post about Turkey’s first domestic and national communications satellite, Türksat 6A, was shared on TÜBİTAK’s social media account.

The post explained that the energy source that Türksat 6A needs to establish uninterrupted communication is provided by solar panels.

The post noted that the panels that power the satellite by converting solar energy into electrical energy will produce energy continuously throughout the satellite's mission life, and stated, “We obtain the energy the satellite needs for vital operations from solar panels.” The fixed solar panels we use in our Earth observation satellites BİLSAT and RASAT: “While we were able to meet the needs of the satellites with our GÖKTÜRK-2 satellite, we were able to increase energy efficiency with openable panels as power needs increased.” Statements were included.

The solar modules are positioned to follow the sun at the optimal angle

The paper stressed that Türksat 6A requires an uninterrupted power supply to provide 24/7 communication services, so they went a step further and used much larger panels that constantly track the sun. It found that:

“On the satellite, we positioned the solar panels so that they always follow the sun at the optimal angle. This innovative system will enable Türksat 6A to produce high power continuously and operate for long periods of time. For this, Türksat 6A has two solar panels, each 10 meters long, covering a total area of ​​37.6 square meters when switched on and capable of generating up to 9.2 kW of power, which is ten times more than GÖKTÜRK-2's energy needs. The solar panels will be placed on the rocket with folded and stretched opening mechanisms to prevent damage during launch. At this critical point, the panels will be opened using pre-loaded command sequences in case communication with the satellite fails. “Advanced algorithms in our computer will turn the solar panels on and point them at the sun on their own.”

The post explained that with the successful completion of this phase, the satellite will have taken a crucial step in providing the power it needs during its mission, and noted that Türksat 6A will strengthen Turkey's communications performance with its systems.