Photos: SpaceX Rocket to Launch 1st Satellite for Turkmenistan

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Rises into the Sky, April 27, 2015

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket rises into the skies above Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on April 27, 2015, carrying the first-ever satellite for the Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan.

SpaceX Launches Turkmenistan's First Satellite

This screenshot from a webcast shows SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket blasting off on April 27, 2015, carrying the first-ever satellite for the Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rolls to Pad for Thales Mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT satellite into orbit for Turkmenistan and Thales Alenia Space on April 27, 2015. See the mission's ramp up in photos in our photo gallery here.

TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT in Orbit

An artist's illustration depicts the TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT, that will allow Turkmenistan to operate its first national satellite telecommunications system.

TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT Arrives in Cape Canaveral, Florida

The TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT telecommunications satellite traveled from Thales Alenia Space's Cannes plant on February 23, 2015, arriving at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 26. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the satellite in April 2015.

Thales Alenia Space as Prime Contractor

Thales Alenia Space led the satellite design and manufacture of TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT as the prime contractor of the contract. The company also managed the manufacture of ground support equipment for the two satellite control stations, all associated services, provision of launch services and insurance.

Thales Alenia Space Ahead of Schedule

Thales Alenia Space produced the first Turkmenistan telecom satellite and got it ready to ship in just 27 months, more than four months ahead of the contractual deadline.

SpaceX Thales Mission Patch

SpaceX plans to launch a satellite for Thales Alenia Space on April 27, 2015, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The official patch is seen here.

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Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award (opens in new tab) for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast (opens in new tab) with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network (opens in new tab). To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik (opens in new tab).