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Satria-1 satellite to be finalized December, set for July 2023 launch
Current production of Satria-1 megaproject has entered a critical phase; it is hoped that cooperation with Thales Group could run smoothly so that the launch of the multifunction satellite could be carried out on schedule in July 2023.
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Illustration of a satellite. (Shutterstock/Tatiana Shepeleva)
T
he government announced that current production of Satellite of the Republic of Indonesia (Satria-1) megaproject has entered a critical phase and hoped that cooperation with Thales Group could run smoothly so that the launch of the multifunction satellite could be carried out on schedule in July 2023.
Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate met with Thales on Wednesday to talk about the company’s involvement in the development of Satria-1.
"Hopefully it can be completed by December [2022] and then we can start preparing for the launch or launching of the satellite in the middle of next year around July," he said, as quoted in a press release.
The meeting lasted for an hour in the ministry’s office and the minister met and talked with Pascale Sourisse, the vice president of international development of Thales Group -- French developer and manufacturer of electrical devices and equipment for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security sectors.
“Thales has expressed its commitment to procure Satellite Satria-1 using all of its expertise and management opportunities it has,” said Johnny.
Read also: RI takes giant leap forward in $550m 'Satria' satellite project
Expressing his gratitude, Sourisse thanked the Indonesian government for the trust it has given the company, saying, “I am happy for the chance to meet his excellency to follow through on Satria-1 partnership.”
Sourisse was visiting Indonesia to attend the biennial event of 2022 Indo Defense Expo and Forum and he took the opportunity to meet with the ministry to follow up on the satellite project.
“This is a big opportunity to meet with customers and partners; we get a lot of opportunities to review our projects,” said Sourisse on Wednesday.
Satria itself is the country’s biggest telecommunication satellite to date valued at US$550 million, managed by the ministry and ran by satellite provider PT Satelit Nusantara Tiga, part of the consortium of PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) and French-Italian aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia Space (TAS).
Read also: ITU grants extension for Satria satellite launch
The satellite is envisioned to boost connectivity inclusion in the country, providing free internet connection to 150,000 public facilities, including schools, regional government offices and health facilities.
Satria will have a throughput capacity of 150 billion bits per second, three times the capacity of the nine telecommunication satellites that Indonesia currently uses.
