TURKSAT 4A TO BE ON SPACE IN 2011

ANKARA (A.A) - 28.08.2009 - Chief Executive Officer of the TURKSAT said on Friday that procurement process has started for TURKSAT 4A satellite, planned to be launched to space in 2011.
"TURKSAT plans to manufacture the satellite at the end of the year," Ozkan Dalbay, Director General of TURKSAT, told A.A correspondent.
Dalbay said TURKSAT would send a preliminary specification to producing companies by the end of this month informing them about the details of the satellite. "Satellite manufacturing companies will conclude the works within 1.5 months," he said.
"We will call them to offer bid after examining their files. We are planning to start manufacturing of the satellite till the end of this year," he said
Dalbay said they targeted capacity of TURKSAT 4A to be 10 percent more from TURKSAT 3A, "50 Turkish engineers will be assigned in all manufacturing processes of Turksat 4A," he added.
Dalbay noted that TURKSAT 1C will be thrown to space trash after launching of TURKSAT 4A in 2011.
The last time Turkey launched a satellite was June 2008. Turkey's new generation communication satellite "Turksat 3A" was launched from French Guianato to replace former satellite Turksat 1C.