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How Indonesia is losing strategic satellite orbital slot
Failure to launch a replacement satellite means other countries on the orbital slot waiting list are free to step in afterward. Considering the importance of the 123 Longitude East orbital slot, in the worst-case scenario, Indonesia will most likely lose this slot forever.
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Failure to launch a replacement satellite means other countries on the orbital slot waiting list are free to step in afterward. (Shutterstock/-)
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f by November of this year Indonesia fails to launch a new satellite, the country will lose its 123 Longitude East satellite orbital slot. Located in geostationary orbit, it remains positioned above the island of Sulawesi. Such strategic orbital slots are so limited that only a handful of countries can obtain them.
The 123 Longitude East orbital slot is allocated for L-band satellites. Operating at 1-2 GHz frequency, L-band satellites are essential for mobile communication, telecommunication, navigation and surveillance. This type of high technology mobile satellite can trace small moving objects in all kinds of weather, making it vital for, among other things, defense purposes. The one controlling the satellite is able to keep an eye on the archipelago 24/7, all year round.
The polemic regarding Indonesia’s satellite slot started when the Garuda-1 satellite was de-orbited after malfunctioning in 2015. Avanti Communications Group was contracted by the Indonesian government to move the Artemis satellite into the 123 Longitude East orbital slot, replacing the Garuda-1. In doing so, the Artemis satellite had to be moved from Central Africa to Sulawesi — a very high-risk mission, considering that according to the Liability Convention of 1972, the Artemis state registry would be liable for damage caused to other satellites as a result of the Artemis’ movement.
However, the mission only lasted from December 2016 to November 2017. The new satellite’s launch was cancelled due to a dispute between the Indonesian government and Avanti Communications Group at the London Court of International Arbitration over delay of payment.
The International Telecommunication Union rule stipulates that a country is obliged to replace its satellite within three years in order to preserve the slot. The three-year period starts after the slot becomes vacant, and it does not refer to when the contract ends or the estimated life span of the satellite had it not malfunctioned or been de-orbited.
This provision leaves no room for other interpretation, setting November 2020 as a firm deadline for Indonesia to find a satellite replacement.
Failure to launch a replacement satellite means other countries on the orbital slot waiting list are free to step in afterward. Considering the importance of the 123 Longitude East orbital slot, in the worst-case scenario, Indonesia will most likely lose this slot forever. Indonesia could still “own” the slot through a service agreement. However, it would be very costly, and put our military defense at risk.
