Indonesia

Since 1976 Indonesia has operated a national GEO telecommunications network based on U.S.-made Hughes, spin-stabilized spacecraft. Today the Palapa constellation consists of three HS-376 class spacecraft located at 108 degrees E (Palapa B2R, launched 13 April, 1990), 113 degrees E (Palapa B2P, launched 29 March, 1987), and 118 degrees E (Palapa B4, launched 14 May 1992). These second generation Palapa spacecraft have an on-station mass of 630 kg and have all been launched by Delta boosters. (Palapa B2R was originally launched as Palapa B2 by the U.S. Space Shuttle in February, 1984, but its perigee motor malfunctioned, leading to a Shuttle retrieval in November, 1984. The spacecraft was then refurbished and relaunched as Palapa B2R.).

The Palapa B series of satellites carry 30 6/1 4 GHz transponders (including six spares) to support telecommunications services throughout Southeast Asia. The design lifetime of the spacecraft is eight years.

In 1991 the aging Palapa B1 satellite (June, 1983) was sold to Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) for a new mission to provide commercial services to the Pacific Rim region. Palapa B1 was moved to its new location near 134 degrees E during March-May, 1992 and remained operational through 1994 despite its inclination of 4 degrees. During 1993 PSN and Tonga clashed over the use of the 134 degree E slot before an acceptable solution was reached.

To handle the next generation of Palapa satellites, Palapa C, Indonesia in early 1993 established PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) of Jakarta, a commercial firm with the PT Bimagraha Telekomindo the majority shareholder, to manage the Palapa C program and to secure additional investment funding. PSN is also assisting in the Palapa C program with communications services expertise. The first Palapa C spacecraft was originally scheduled for launch by an Ariane rocket in the Fall of 1995 to replace Palapa B2P.

The Palapa C series will employ Hughes' HS-601 spacecraft with 34 active transponders: 24 (with six spares) C-band, 6 (with two spares) extended C-band, and 4 (with two spares) Kuband. The on-station mass of the satellite at beginning of life will be 1,775 kg with a design lifetime of at least 12 years. Palapa C1 will be followed in 1997-1998 by Palapa C2 which is designated to replace Palapa B2R.

On the horizon are two new GEO commercial communications networks with inaugural flights in 1996 and 1998, respectively. The Indostar system will provide direct broadcast television and radio services specifically for Indonesia. A Jakarta consortium, PT Media Citra plans to launch up to four American-built (International Technologies, Inc.'s Star spacecraft) satellites for positions at 105.9 degrees E, 106.1 degrees E, 114.9 degrees E, and 115.1 degrees E. The spacecraft will have an on-station mass of only 430 kg at the beginning of life with a design lifetime of at least seven years. The payload will consist of three S-band transmitters for television broadcasts and two L-band transmitters for radio services.

Trying to satisfy the growing demand for hand-held telephone service in Asia, PSN along with partners in Thailand and the Philippines plans to field the Asia Cellular Satellite System (ACES), starting in 1998. The Garuda spacecraft will be built by Lockheed-Martin based on the A2100 satellite bus and will feature two 12 m umbrella antennas for L-band communications. PSN had earlier sought to create a cellular telephone system with Singapore but dropped out of the venture in 1994.