Satria 1 Satellite Increases Indonesia's Internet Capacity

The Satria 1 satellite was successfully launched on Sunday (18/6/2023) at 18.21 Florida time, United States. Even though Satria 1's capacity is the largest in Asia, the shortage of satellite internet in Indonesia remains high.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI.

SPACEX

The Satria 1 satellite or also known as Nusantara 3 was launched using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States, on Sunday (18/6/2023) at 18.21 local time or Monday (19/6/2023) at 05.21 WIB.

CAPE CANAVERAL, KOMPAS - The Republic of Indonesia's satellite, Satria-1, also known as the Nusantara-3 satellite, has been successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the United States. The satellite will now head towards its orbit for the next five months. It is expected that the satellite will be able to serve the internet needs of the public by January 2024.

The Satria-1 or Nusantara 3 (N3) satellite launched from launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA on Sunday (18/6/2023) at 18.21 local time or Monday (19/6/2023) at 05.21 WIB. The launch was delayed by 15 minutes from the last scheduled launch due to weather constraints.

The launch process went smoothly, without much difficulty. Although the area around Cape Canaveral was hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms from Saturday night until Sunday morning, the weather on Sunday afternoon was very sunny. At the launch site, cloud clusters were only visible around the horizon and the western sky. Meanwhile, the sky above and the eastern side that would be the rocket path were clear blue.

About half an hour before the launch, the fueling of the Falcon 9 rocket, which will launch Satria 1, was performed. The fueling process, consisting of kerosene and liquid oxygen, was marked by the appearance of white smoke from the first stage rocket belonging to SpaceX, which has a total height of 70 meters.

Also Read: Satellite Launching Satria 1 Facing Challenging Weather

At exactly 6:21 pm local time, the first stage rocket engine ignited, producing a reddish-orange flame. Shortly thereafter, white smoke billowed and enveloped the bottom of the rocket and launch pad.

The rocket moved up, soared high, and left a thunderous roar. The sonic boom (sonic boom) shook not only the eardrums, but also the hearts of the people watching it on the banks of the Indian River lagoon, Cape Canaveral, which is only a few kilometers from the launch pad. The rocket continues to rise, turning eastward following the direction of Earth's rotation, until it finally disappears from sight.

MUCHAMAD ZAID WAHYUDI

The community and photography enthusiasts witnessed the launch of the Satria 1 or Nusantara 3 satellite on the Indian River lagoon bank in Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States on Sunday (18/6/2023) afternoon. The satellite was launched from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base.

Nevertheless, the launch process continues. SpaceX, as the owner of the Falcon 9 rocket, is responsible for launching the satellite and placing it in the transfer orbit or temporary orbit. Afterwards, Thales Alenia Space France, as the satellite manufacturer, will move Satria from the transfer orbit to its final position in the geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers.

The journey from transfer orbit to geostationary orbit will take a long time, around 5 months. After the satellite arrives at its orbit point above the equator on the 146 degrees East Longitude line or northeast of Papua, it will undergo a number of tests before it can provide services to the public starting from January 2024.

Additional capacity

Satria 1 or Nusantara 3 is being built and operated by a consortium of PT Satelit Nusantara Tiga (SNT), a subsidiary of PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN). This satellite is specifically for providing internet services to government institutions through a government-business cooperation scheme (KPBU). The government will pay for the services on a monthly basis to SNT. After operating for 15 years, the satellite will be handed over from SNT to the government.

This satellite service is focused on the foremost, remote, and underdeveloped regions that have not yet been reached by terrestrial-based internet services. Therefore, the presence of this satellite will expand and equalize digital services in Indonesia. Moreover, Satria 1, which has a capacity of 150 gigabits per second (Gbps), is a multifunctional satellite with the fifth largest capacity in the world and number one in Asia.

Also Read: Satria-1 Designation Only for Public Services

"The presence of Satria 1 will bring significant changes to public services in 3T regions, both in the education, health, government services, as well as defense and security sectors," said the President Commissioner of PSN Group Sofyan Djalil shortly before the launch of Satria 1 at Cape Canaveral, on Sunday (June 18th, 2023)."

SPACEX

The Satria 1 satellite, also known as Nusantara 3, was launched using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States, on Sunday (18/6/2023) at 18:21 local time or Monday (19/6/2023) at 05:21 WIB.

Meanwhile, the CEO of PSN, Adi Rahwan Adiwoso, in Jakarta, stated during his speech after the launch of the Satria 1 satellite, that this satellite would help reduce the digital divide in Indonesia. Ensuring digital connectivity in archipelagic regions is not an easy task. Therefore, Satria 1 strives to realize this through equal distribution of technology, information and communication infrastructure, especially in the 3T regions.

"Satria will be the government's effort to realize digital connectivity across the archipelago," he added.

However, the presence of Satria 1 is believed to only cover a small portion of Indonesia's internet satellite needs, which are estimated to reach 600 Gbps to 1 terabit per second (Tbps). Out of the four satellites currently operating in Indonesia, namely Nusantara 1 owned by PSN, BRISat owned by Bank Rakyat Indonesia, as well as the Merah Putih (Telkom 4) and Telkom 3S satellites owned by Telkomsat, they are only able to meet a small portion of the existing needs.

The presence of Satria 1 will bring significant changes to public services in the 3T region, including in the sectors of education, health, government services, and defense and security.

Even the presence of the Nusantara 5 satellite and one satellite owned by Telkomsat at the end of 2023-2024 is estimated to still not be able to fulfill existing needs. Consequently, the use of foreign satellites cannot be avoided.

Director General of Postal and Informatics Administration at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Wayan Toni Supriyanto, presented in Orlando, Florida, the United States on Saturday (17/6/2023) that in addition to current needs, the internet needs in the future will continue to develop and require more and better digital infrastructure support.

SPACEX

The Satria 1 satellite, also known as Nusantara 3, was launched using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, United States on Sunday, June 18th, 2023 at 6:21 PM local time or Monday, June 19th, 2023 at 5:21 AM WIB.

The government is actually only patching up the needs that cannot be fulfilled by telecommunication operator companies. However, due to limited government budget, the effort to equalize internet access needs to be adjusted according to the country's financial capability.

Also Read: Launch of the Satria Satellite Accelerates Indonesia's Digital Transformation

This condition opens opportunities for industries or private sectors to further specialize in the satellite sector. However, engaging in the satellite industry is not easy as it requires high technology, significant investment, and high risks. Nevertheless, the increasing demand from the community provides a great opportunity for domestic industries, reducing reliance on foreign satellites gradually.