FGN-100-d1, the largest satellite ever built by a private Turkish company, was developed indigenously by Fergani Space and successfully launched into space, where it has now entered its designated orbit.

CALIFORNIA
14 JANUARY 2025

The FGN-100-d1 satellite, which was developed indigenously by Fergani Space, a company established by Baykar Chairman and CTO Selçuk Bayraktar, was launched into space at 22:09 (GMT+3) on January 14, 2025, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the United States. This successful launch marks a significant first step for Fergani Space in completing its Positioning Satellite Constellation Project.

INITIATED ITS MISSION IN SPACE
Developed by Fergani Space, the 102-kg FGN-100-d1 satellite—the largest ever built by a private Turkish company—was launched into space alongside multiple satellites by the Transporter-12 mission as part of a Rideshare program. At 23:11 (GMT+3), approximately 62 minutes after launch, Türkiye’s indigenous satellite system separated from the launch vehicle and successfully entered its designated orbit. Shortly thereafter, FGN-100-d1 began its mission by transmitting telemetry data.

“WE PLACED OUR FIRST SATELLITE IN ORBIT”
Fergani Space CEO Selçuk Bayraktar and his team closely monitored the launch and orbital injection of the FGN-100-d1 satellite from the Space Observation and Control Center at the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul. Shortly after the satellite initiated its mission, Bayraktar made the following statement: "The Fergani Space venture, which we launched in 2022, continues to grow as a large family with 106 members. Today, we have placed our first satellite into orbit. Our satellites will serve as a low-orbit constellation for positioning and communication purposes. We carried out this project with our own resources. At this moment, our satellite has reached an altitude of 500 kilometers and completed its initial maneuvers."

“WE WILL DEVELOP THE ULUĞ BEY GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM WITH OUR OWN RESOURCES”
“Within the next five years, we will launch 100 satellites to develop the Uluğ Bey global positioning system with our own resources, and we aim to share it with all friendly and brotherly nations. As we complete our satellite constellation, we will continue developing our 50-ton launch vehicle, which will be capable of sending a 1.5-ton payload into orbit. May this achievement bring prosperity to our country and nation. I offer my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to all my companions who have worked tirelessly to contribute to our nation’s space journey.”

SET TO CIRCLE THE EARTH 15 TIMES DAILY
The FGN-100-d1, developed entirely indigenously by the expert engineering team at Fergani Space, will operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of approximately 510 kilometers, following a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Traveling at a speed of 7.6 km/s, this fully indigenous satellite will complete approximately 15 orbits around the Earth each day.

SUPPORTING TÜRKİYE’S SPACE JOURNEY
The FGN-100-d1 satellite, which is equipped with a triple-redundant flight computer, aims to successfully test orbital operations, telemetry and telecommand communications, positioning, and payload communication capabilities. During the development process, Fergani Space engineers successfully completed mission-critical avionics, indigenous software integration, green propulsion technologies, structural design and environmental testing. The project is expected to propel Türkiye’s space ecosystem and space technologies.