ANKARA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), an American aerospace company found by Elon Musk, will launch two Turkish satellites to space, according to an agreement signed on Thursday.
Turkish company Turksat signed the agreement with Airbus Defense and Space on Thursday for the production of Turksat 5A and Turksat 5B communications satellites.
According to the agreement, the two satellites will be launched by the Falcon 9 rocket, a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites, said Turkish Transport, Maritime and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan on signing ceremony.
The two satellites will play a vital role in Turkey's development in the telecommunication sector, Arslan added.
The agreement to build and launch satellites will be worth around 500 million U.S. dollars, and Turkey aims to launch Turksat 5A by 2020 and Turksat 5B by 2021.
Elon Musk, who is famous for aerospace technology and Tesla electronic vehicle, arrived in Ankara on Wednesday to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss launching of Turkish satellites.
