Indonesia Space Technology

To realize independence and improve the nation’s competitiveness through the control of space technology, Indonesia issued Government Regulation Number 7 of 2023.  This regulation covers the control and protection of space technology, space technology security, space safety standards and procedures, and public participation in the mastery of space technology. The intention of this regulation is to encourage satellite development and utilization to bolster national development.

To implement this regulation, the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is developing a satellite constellation consisting of 19 satellites. The constellation comprises two Very High Resolution (VHR) imaging satellites, four High Resolution (HR) imaging satellites, two Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, ten Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, and one Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite. 

Indonesia has plans for technological development and independence to provide a national satellite constellation that can support the country’s need for remote sensing imagery data and other needs. This allows a break away from the current dependence on foreign satellites. The satellite constellation is expected to enhance the observations and communication connectivity in Indonesia, providing continuous data delivery from each satellite without waiting for the satellite’s return time (revisit) or minimizing the satellite revisit time.

BRIN plans to launch the satellites in stages. In 2025, BRIN plans to launch a very high-resolution satellite at 50 centimeters resolution and synthetic aperture radar, the following year a high-resolution satellite is expected to be launched. These satellites will be especially useful for acquiring or providing monitoring data on the earth’s surface for various purposes, including for agriculture, plantations, the environment, fisheries and natural disasters.

Data from satellites with very high resolution makes it possible to visualize the earth’s surface in more detail, such as buildings, roads, and trees, so it will be very useful for urban mapping, land use, agriculture, and natural disaster management, among others. The opportunity for using radar or SAR satellite data in Indonesia is quite high, because of the ability of SAR satellite data to penetrate clouds, which is often an obstacle in monitoring the earth’s surface using optical satellite data.

This new project creates various opportunities for U.S. satellite suppliers, as well as ground-station system manufacturers, including communications infrastructure, ground networks, control centers, and remote terminals. All of these areas are promising for future growth and export opportunities of U.S. technology.

For additional information, please contact: Kalung Riang at (Kalung.Riang@trade.gov)