Ankara/Anadolu

Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır in a statement:

The rubidium atomic clock is crucial for the regional positioning and timing system, which is among our space goals.

The rubidium clock was developed locally by the Turkish Space Agency under the supervision of TÜBİTAK.

The clock will contribute to many critical technologies, from communications and navigation to scientific research and satellite systems.

Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır announced the launch of a locally developed rubidium atomic clock into space and the successful reception of the first signal from the spacecraft carrying it.

Kacır stated in a statement on Friday that this clock is of critical importance for the regional positioning and timing system, which is among the strategic goals of the National Space Program.

The minister explained that atomic clocks measure time with extreme precision based on the fixed vibration frequencies (resonance) between energy levels in atoms and electrons.

Regarding the launch process, Kacır clarified that it was carried out via a mission of the American company SpaceX.

Kacır said: 'The rubidium atomic clock, which is important for the regional positioning and timing system included in the strategic goals of our National Space Program, has been successfully launched as part of the SpaceX Transporter-17 mission, and the first signal from the spacecraft has been successfully received.'

He pointed out that the rubidium atomic clock was developed locally by the Turkish Space Agency, under the supervision of the National Metrology Institute of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK).

He added that this clock will contribute to many vital technologies, from communications and navigation to scientific research and satellite systems.

Kacır emphasized that the rubidium atomic clock, whose performance will be verified in the space environment aboard a CubeSat, represents an important step in the development of Turkey's national and local capabilities in space timing and frequency technologies.

He continued: 'The data obtained will provide valuable gains for the development of high-precision atomic clock technologies that can be used in the future in satellite systems, communication infrastructures, navigation applications, and scientific space missions.'