PT Telkom Tbk. (TLKM) confirmed that the launch of the Merah Putih Satellite will be carried out on Tuesday (7/8) local time at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Orlando, Florida USA.
SOE Minister Rini M Soemarno, expects the process of launching the Red and White Satellite belonging to PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. can run smoothly until it occupies its orbital slot 108 degrees East Longitude (108 East Longitude).
“SpaceX will soon launch the Merah Putih satellite. My hope and of course all of us is that the Falcon 9 rocket can successfully bring the satellite into orbit so that the Merah Putih Satellite can carry out its duties in supporting the progress of the national industry, supporting the connectivity of the Indonesian nation, as well as facilitating and expanding access to communication for all Indonesian people,” he said in a written statement.
The Merah Putih satellite carries 60 active transponders consisting of 24 C-Band transponders and 12 Extended C-Band transponders which will serve the Southeast Asian region, including Indonesia. Also, 24 C-Band transponders that will reach the South Asian region. This satellite relies on the SSL 1300 platform with a design life of 16 years.
The construction of the Merah Putih Satellite involved two US companies, namely SSL as a satellite manufacturer and SpaceX as a satellite launch service provider. SSL is a well-known satellite manufacturer and managed to complete the construction of the Merah Putih Satellite ahead of schedule. The Red and White Satellite will then be launched into its orbital slot using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The presence of the Merah Putih Satellite is a matter of pride and an extraordinary achievement to strengthen Indonesia’s position in the digital world at the international level. “This satellite will not only transmit signals to Indonesia, but also the South Asian region. This means that State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) are increasingly going international carrying the name of Indonesia,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Director of Network & IT Solution (NITS) Telkom, Zulhelfi Abidin, said Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), which was appointed by PT Telkom as the launch contractor, reported that the Red and White Satellite had been assembled into one rocket and ready to be launched.
Abidin explained that the launch of the Merah Putih Satellite would save about 25% of the cost of launching the previous satellite. The Telkom 3S satellite, which was launched on February 15, 2016, cost US$215 million. Meanwhile, the Red and White Satellite launch project only cost US$165 million, including insurance costs of US$10 million.
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