New Space and Aviation Company Sets Sights on Low Earth Orbit Satellite Systems and Reusable Technologies
Last August, Baykar CTO Selçuk Bayraktar announced the establishment of a new company called Fergani, capable of competing in the space field even with big names like SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk. We saw the first concrete steps taken before the end of their first year, as the Fergani Team Satellite Project was launched.
After last year’s Teknofest, Baykar Defense Technical Director Selçuk Bayraktar participated in a TV program and shed light on the future of the company, pointing to space. Indeed, the future of aviation and technology lies here.
Of course, we can say that the company started with hand-launched aerial vehicles, followed by the 650 kg Bayraktar TB2 and then the 6-ton Akıncı, which means they are making solid progress. We know that the next target is the development of the unmanned fighter jet project MIUS/Kızılelma in the next 15-year period.
However, the company seems to be turning its face to space in the near future, if not entirely. As Selçuk Bayraktar stated that they founded a new space and aviation company called Fergani and that they could compete with big companies like SpaceX in some areas and also work together with their projects. Indeed, the first project emerged before the end of the announcement year.
The Team Satellite Project, developed by Fergani, a subsidiary of Baykar, has rolled up its sleeves for the satellites to be developed within Baykar using domestic resources, including subsystems. It was revealed that the first test satellite is planned to be launched in 2024. Right after that, we may see many experimental satellites. However, Fergani will not just produce and send satellites into space. So, what can we expect?
What will Fergani do?
Fergani will initially start developing low Earth orbit satellite systems. Here, like SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet company, it will focus on transporting small-sized satellites to LEO orbits (160 km – 2,000 km).
The next step in this direction will be reusable systems. Selçuk Bayraktar already points out how Musk saved costs by reusing Falcon 9 rockets that landed on Earth after leaving their payload in space and that the future lies in this field.
However, he states that their main goal is not to make a system rivaling Falcon 9. Instead, after separating from the rocket, the booster that places the satellite in its orbit does not return, and he says that if this intermediary vehicle, like Musk’s rockets, is reused, costs will decrease significantly.
Fergani’s second goal, therefore, is to develop this system, which is already being worked on by several companies but has not yet been put into operation, and to achieve a good position in the space and aviation industry, just like in unmanned aerial vehicles.
What is Team Satellite? What does Fergani aim for?
The official statement made by the company says:
In Turkey and around the world, services provided through satellites have increasingly become a necessity. In recent years, satellites are getting smaller, and mission requirements are being met with many low-cost satellites instead of a single high-cost one. Fergani Space is developing a satellite platform in line with the team satellite philosophy.
Fergani, with its superior software, hardware, and powerful production technologies, will be one of the distinctive companies in the Team Satellites field, providing cost-effective solutions. Fergani team satellites will provide innovative technology solutions for many global needs in maritime, aviation, IoT, meteorology, logistics, and other corporate markets.
Fergani’s 100 kg class microsatellites will operate at an altitude range of 500-600 km. These satellites will have various useful payloads, such as communication and geographic positioning. Capable of communicating in Ku, Ka, S, and L bands, these satellites will have global coverage. At the same time, the ground segment required for operations such as tracking and managing the orbital movements of team satellites and carrying out satellite communication will be established.
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