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TürkmenÄlem 52E / MonacoSat

TürkmenÄlem 52E [Thales Alenia]

The government of Turkmenistan has contracted in November 2011 with Thales Alenia Space to build the nation’s first telecommunications satellite, named TürkmenÄlem 52E, to be launched in 2014 into an orbital slot controlled by the government of Monaco. The satellite is erroneously also known as Turkmensat-1.

The decision to move forward with the national satellite project follows the creation in early 2011 of a Turkmen space agency, whose mandate includes satellite communications and the operation of the spacecraft from Turkmen territory.

The Turkmen Ministry of Communications signed an agreement with Space Systems International-Monaco S.A.M. under which the Turkmen satellite will be stationed at the Monaco-registered 52° east position (also known as Monacosat 1) for its 15-year service life. SES has the rights to commercialise the entire MonacoSat payload of 12 Ku-band transponders on the TürkmenÄlem 52E satellite.

The satellite weighs about 4707 kg at launch, provides 10 kilowatts of power to the payload and carries 38 active Ku-band transponders.

Originally scheduled for a launch on a Chinese CZ-3B/G2 booster, it was moved in June 2013 to a SpaceX Falcon-9 v1.1(ex) launch in 2015. Due changes made to ITAR, the move was required, as some US made parts could no longer be exported to China for launch.

Nation: Turkmenistan, Monaco
Type / Application: Communication
Operator: Turkmen Ministry of Communications; Space Systems International-Monaco S.A.M.
Contractors: Thales Alenia Space
Equipment: 38 active Ku-band transponders
Configuration: Spacebus-4000C2
Propulsion: S400
Power: 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
Lifetime: 16 years
Mass: 4707 kg (launch); 1823 kg (dry)
Orbit: GEO
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
TürkmenÄlem 52E/MonacoSat 2015-023A 27.04.2015 CC SLC-40 Falcon-9 v1.1(ex)

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