Turkish space firm Fergani’s 5th satellite reaches orbit

Turkish space firm Fergani Space said Monday that its fifth test satellite, FGN-100-D3, successfully reached orbit after being launched from the US aboard a SpaceX mission.

According to a statement from Baykar, the 113-kilogram satellite was sent into space at 2.02 pm Türkiye time (1102GMT) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission.

The satellite separated from the launch vehicle 66 minutes after liftoff at 3.08 pm local time in Türkiye (1208GMT) and was placed into its target orbit at an altitude of 500 to 520 kilometers (310 to 323 miles).

The launch was monitored by the Fergani Space team from the Space Observation and Control Center at the Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul.

Equipped with communications and navigation capabilities, FGN-100-D3 has now started operations in orbit.

Selcuk Bayraktar, Baykar’s chairman of the board and chief technology officer, said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal that the company’s work “beyond the horizon” was continuing.

“FGN-100-D3 -- Fergani's fifth test satellite, distinguished by its communications and navigation capabilities -- has successfully taken its place in space!” he said.

Fergani said the satellite marks an important technological step compared with its earlier spacecraft, featuring critical systems developed entirely in-house, including a reaction wheel, magnetic torque rod, magnetometer, inertial measurement unit and GNSS receiver.

The satellite also carries an AI-supported onboard computer designed for advanced missions, while the in-orbit validation of domestically developed systems and avionics is seen as an important step toward Türkiye’s full independence in space technologies.

Fergani has expanded its presence in orbit since early 2025. The company launched its first satellite, FGN-100-D1, in January 2025, followed by FGN-100-D2 on Nov. 2, 2025, which it described as Türkiye’s largest private-sector satellite at 104 kilograms.

On Nov. 28, 2025, it also launched FGN-TUG-S01, described as the world’s first hybrid-propulsion orbital transfer vehicle, carrying the 10-kilogram FRG-10D1 CubeSat.

Fergani aims to build the Ulugh Beg Global Positioning System, a constellation of more than 100 satellites, within the next five years using its own resources. The company is also continuing development of a national launch vehicle.

*Writing by Mucahithan Avcioglu in Istanbul