Elon Musk’s SpaceX Launches Indonesia’s Largest Telecom Satellite To Boost Internet Connectivity

The SATRIA-1 satellite will be positioned in the orbital slot above Indonesia's eastern Papua region.

Back in April, SpaceX got approval from the United States Space Force to add the Hawthorne-based aerospace firm's fifth US launch site. ( Image Source :Getty )

Indonesia and Elon Musk's space exploration company, SpaceX, successfully launched a significant telecommunication satellite from the United States on Monday. The project, valued at $540 million, aims to connect remote areas of the Indonesian archipelago to the Internet. While approximately two-thirds of Indonesia's population of 280 million already have internet access, many underdeveloped and distant islands in the Southeast Asian nation face limited connectivity.

According to a statement from Mahfud MD, a senior minister in Indonesia, the utilisation of satellite technology will play a vital role in expediting internet access to villages located in regions where fibre optic connections are currently unattainable. This ambitious plan is expected to be realised within the next decade.

The Republic of Indonesia's 4.5-tonne satellite, named SATRIA-1, was manufactured by Thales Alenia Space and launched into orbit from Florida using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Following the launch, the rocket precisely returned to an offshore site, showcasing SpaceX's impressive landing capabilities.

SATRIA-1 will be positioned in the orbital slot above Indonesia's eastern Papua region. With a remarkable throughput capacity of 150 gigabytes per second, it will provide internet connectivity to 50,000 public service points, as confirmed by the Indonesian government.

This project represents a collaboration between the Indonesian government and PT Satelit Nusantara Tiga, an Indonesian satellite service provider, forming a public-private partnership to drive its success.

Back in April, SpaceX got approval from the United States Space Force to add the Hawthorne-based aerospace firm's fifth US launch site. With the US Space Force's approval, SpaceX can lease a second rocket launch complex at a military base in California.

SpaceX will launch its Falcon rockets from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as part of the lease. The Vandenberg Space Force Base is a military launch site north of Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, SpaceX operates another launch pad. Two other launchpads are located in Florida, and one is located in south Texas. The Texas launch site is called Starbase.