ASELSAN's LUNA-1 Satellite Successfully Orbits, Bolstering National IoT Communications Infrastructure

ASELSAN has achieved a fundamental milestone in establishing a global Internet of Things (IoT) communication infrastructure via Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The company's inaugural space-based IoT satellite, LUNA-1, commenced operations following a successful launch. According to an official statement from ASELSAN, the launch of LUNA-1 took place on November 28, 2025, lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States. This mission was part of the Transporter-15 program, utilizing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The entirety of the critical stages—encompassing the design, development, production, integration, and testing of LUNA-1, including its mission payload, ground control software, and flight computer—was managed entirely by ASELSAN engineers. Approximately one hour post-launch, the satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle and smoothly entered a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 510 kilometers. Subsequently, the ground station in Ankara successfully decoded the first telemetry data from the satellite, confirming that all onboard subsystems were operating in a healthy state.

The Head of the Presidency's Defense Industry, Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, underscored this success as marking the crossing of a "new threshold" in Turkey's space journey, simultaneously reinforcing national autonomy in vital infrastructure through the development of space-based communication capabilities. ASELSAN General Manager, Ahmet Akyol, affirmed that with LUNA-1 now operational in orbit, efforts to develop LEO solutions will continue to accelerate, marking a significant achievement for the vision of Turkey's national IoT satellite network.

LUNA-1's launch was one of 140 payloads carried by the SpaceX Transporter-15 mission on November 28, 2025. This rideshare mission, the 19th for SpaceX's Smallsat Rideshare program, employed a Falcon 9 booster with tail number B1071, a veteran rocket on its 30th flight. The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg at 10:44 a.m. PT. The mission highlighted the efficiency of SpaceX's rideshare program, offering cost-effective orbital access for diverse payloads, including Earth observation satellites from Planet Labs and the HydroGNSS mission from the European Space Agency (ESA).

LUNA-1 is engineered to facilitate low-cost, minimal-latency, and uninterrupted data transmission from sensors deployed across wide geographic areas. This capability is crucial for reaching rural and open-water regions where conventional infrastructure access is difficult. Satellite communication in IoT, as demonstrated by LUNA-1, enables connectivity in remote locations such as oil fields, deep forests, or agricultural lands without requiring the construction of additional terrestrial infrastructure. The satellite supports IoT applications demanding low-power, long-life connectivity, filling gaps where cellular networks cannot extend.

Among the 140 payloads, the mission also included the Formosat-8 satellite from the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), which served as the mission's 'cake topper' and is the first satellite in a planned constellation of eight optical remote sensing satellites targeted for completion by 2031. Furthermore, Texas-based SIPS Space was responsible for deploying 11 spacecraft using their innovative dispenser mechanism. Exolaunch's mission managers also played a key role, overseeing the deployment of 59 customer satellites from various nations, marking their 15th Transporter mission with SpaceX. LUNA-1's success underscores a shift toward more autonomous and distributed communication solutions by leveraging the increasingly mature LEO infrastructure.