OREANDA-NEWS. Volga-Dnepr Airlines has delivered the Turksat 4A telecommunications satellite from Japan to Kazakhstan in its latest specialist delivery on behalf of the space industry.

The spacecraft was placed into a special container for its flight onboard one of the airline's An-124-100 'Ruslan' freighters. The total weight of the cargo was 60 tons. During the flight and technical stops a constant temperature of 10°C was maintained to protect the satellite's sensitive technology. The high value space equipment also required precise and delicate handling during the loading and unloading.

Experts from Japan arrived in Kazakhstan onboard the An-124-100 to participate in the launch of the Turksat 4A satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is scheduled to take place in February.

Volga-Dnepr is one of the world's leading transporters of aerospace cargo and its personnel have extensive experience of managing projects for the industry all over the world. In 2013, Volga-Dnepr Airlines carried more than 50 space industry shipments and since its launch over 20 years ago, the airline has successfully operated more than 3,500 flights delivering satellites and other aerospace equipment.

The Turksat 4A telecommunications satellite was produced by the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in Japan on behalf of Turkey's communications satellite operator Turksat AS. It will provide Turkey, Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa with TV broadcasting and broadband communications.