In a landmark collaboration between Indonesia and SpaceX, the nation’s most substantial telecommunication satellite was successfully launched from the U.S. on Sunday. The $540 million project is a big step towards connecting the remote areas of the Indonesian archipelago to the digital world.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday, June 18 at 6:21 p.m. ET.
This was the 12th launch and landing for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, and four Starlink missions.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster, which successfully completed its 12th launch and landing, has an impressive history of missions. Previously, it has been instrumental in the launch of CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, and four Starlink missions.
Despite nearly two-thirds of Indonesia’s 280 million inhabitants already having internet access, the connectivity remains sparse in the underdeveloped eastern islands of the Southeast Asian nation. This initiative aims to bridge that digital divide.
Senior Indonesian Minister, Mahfud MD, emphasized the importance of this project in a statement prior to the launch. “Satellite technology will expedite internet access to villages in areas that fiber optics cannot reach within the next decade,” he said.
The Satellite of the Republic of Indonesia (SATRIA-1), weighing 4.5 tonnes, was constructed by Thales Alenia Space. It was deployed into orbit from Florida by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which subsequently returned to an offshore site in a precision landing.
The SATRIA-1 will take its position in the orbital slot above Indonesia’s eastern Papua region. With a throughput capacity of 150 gigabytes per second, it is expected to provide internet access to 50,000 public service points, according to the Indonesian government.
This project is a public-private partnership between the Indonesian government and the local satellite service provider, PT Satelit Nusantara Tiga. The successful launch marks a significant stride in Indonesia’s journey towards comprehensive digital connectivity.
Check out the replay of the launch below:
This launch marked the 240th overall SpaceX mission to date and the company’s 41st of 2023.
