JAKARTA – The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan) is preparing a number of infrastructures, ranging from observatories to consetrelation satellites. This is done for the development of national science (science and technology) and space in the next few years.
“By having a constellation of satellites we plan to have nine satellites later until 2024, compared to our renting mobile satellites to send all the data needed. From that mission we can calculate the savings of around 121 million US dollars per year,” said Deputy for Aeronautics and Space Technology. Lapan, Rika Andiarti, as quoted Among, Thursday 6 August.
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The constellation satellite will be built in stages and become Lapan’s activity in the 2020-2024 period. “In the next five years, the constellation communication satellite we want to build can be used for maritime activities,” he said.
These satellites can be used for air traffic monitoring, communication and disaster monitoring. By building these constellation satellites, not only will there be economic savings, but technology can prove that Indonesia is able to compete with other countries in the development of science and technology and space.
“We will build gradually from one satellite first then four satellites and so on,” he said.
National Observatory in Kupang
Observatory (doc. Antara)
Not only the development of a constellation satellite, Lapan is also building a national observatory on Mount Timau, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. It is planned that the construction of this observatory will be inaugurated in 2021.
“Hopefully this national observatory can be inaugurated next year,” said Halimurrahman, Deputy for Space and Atmospheric Sciences Lapan, during a webinar.
Mount Timau was chosen as the location for the observatory construction because it needed a dark area and not many cloud obstacles. “Because in areas where the light is very low we can see stars flickering above us,” said Halimurrahman.
With the existence of a national observatory in Kupang, it is hoped that the area will become a sky tourist spot which will certainly improve the economy in the surrounding area. The observatory will be equipped with a 380 cm telescope, which is relatively large for the Asia-Pacific region and is very useful for space research.
“The hope is that by building a national observatory in Kupang, we will encourage eastern Indonesia to have advanced science, especially space, like Bandung,” said Halimurrahman.
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