The Indonesian Republic Satellite 1, SATRIA-1, was launched to occupy its designated orbit at 146 degrees East Longitude. With a mass of 4,600 kg, this technologically advanced satellite embarked on its voyage propelled by a rocket from private American aerospace.
The satellite launch into orbit occurred at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, United States, on Sunday at 6:00 PM local USA time or yesterday on Monday at approximately 6:00 AM WIB (Western Indonesian Time).
In the process, the aircraft with two booster engines successfully carried the SATRIA-1 satellite. The two booster engines returned to Earth, while the SATRIA-1 satellite continued its onward journey towards the orbit at 146 degrees East Longitude.
One of the private American aerospace companies is responsible for launching the satellite and placing it in a transfer or temporary orbit. Afterwards, the satellite manufacturer from France will transfer Satria from the transfer orbit to its final position in the geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000 kilometres.
The journey from the transfer orbit to the geostationary orbit will take a long time, approximately five months. After the satellite reaches its orbit point above the equator at 146 degrees East Longitude or northeast of Papua, it will undergo several testing processes before providing services to the public starting from January 2024.
This satellite was launched to promote equitable development, particularly in digital infrastructure across public service centres throughout Indonesia. Previously, the Acting Minister of Communication and Information, Mahfud MD, stated that the launch of the SATRIA-1 satellite is an effort to achieve inclusivity in the digital economy by providing internet connectivity in any area of the country.
“Satellite technology enables the acceleration of internet provision in rural areas that cannot be reached by fiber optic technology in the next 10 years,” Mahfud explained.
In addition, the internet access provided by SATRIA-1 will bring significant benefits to communities with limited or inadequate internet access quality.
The Head of the Satellite Division of the Accessibility to Communication and Information Agency (Bakti) of the Ministry of Communication and Information, Sri Sanggrama Aradea, stated that based on a study conducted in 2018, there is a need for internet access of 1Mbps for 150,000 public service points in the fields of education, healthcare, and government in remote, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas.
“The presence of Satria-1 will bring significant changes to public services in the 3T areas, including the sectors of education, healthcare, government services, as well as defense and security,” She said.
It is one of the implementations of President Joko Widodo’s directives regarding accelerating access expansion and improving digital infrastructure to accelerate digital transformation. SATRIA-1, equipped with Very High Throughput Satellite (VHTS) technology, can deliver internet speeds up to 150Gbps. The SATRIA-1 Multifunctional Satellite is one of the government’s efforts to provide equitable high-speed internet access across Indonesia.
This condition opens opportunities for the industry or private sector to delve deeper into the satellite sector. However, engaging in the satellite industry takes work as it requires high technology, substantial capital, and high risks. Nevertheless, the increasing demand from society presents an excellent opportunity for the domestic industry to gradually reduce dependence on foreign satellites.
