Indonesia launches Telkom 3S satellite successfully

The Indonesia’s biggest telecommunication company Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) has successfully launched its Telkom 3S satellite from Arianespace’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 6.39 p.m. on February 14 local time or Wednesday at 4.39 am Jakarta time.

The US$215 million worth satellite carries 24 C-band, eight extended C-band, and 10 Ku-band transponders, which intends to provide high-definition television services, faster mobile communications and Internet applications across the sprawling archipelago of over than 17,000 islands.

“With Telkom 3S, Telkom will have a total of three satellites. The launching intends to increase the coverage since Telkom 1 and Telkom 2 has the same coverage with Telkom 3S. The reason is that our capacity is not enough; we still rent [transponders] from other countries,” Telkom’s president director Alex J. Sinaga said.

Telkom 3S will first travel to 135.5 degrees east for testing purposes; then it will reach the final orbital position at 118 degrees east. The US$215 billion worth satellite is fitted with 24 C-band, eight extended C-band and 10 Ku-band transponders.

Alex said that it would take ten days from the satellite launched until it could reach 135.5 degrees orbital position for testing purposes. After that, the spacecraft would be moved one degree a day to reach its fixed orbital position at 118 degrees east, he added.

Top executives from PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia including president director Alex J. Sinaga (center), chief technology officer Abdus Somad Arief (second from right) and satellite project head Tonda Priyanto (right) pose after the successful launch of Telkom 3S on Tuesday. The satellite was launched according to plan at 6.39 p.m. from Kourou, French Guiana.(JP/Winny Tang)

Arianespace has successfully orbited two satellites: Telkom 3s for Telkom Indonesia, together with SKY Brasil-1 for the operator AT&T/ DirectTV.

“Arianespace is delighted to announce that SKY Brasil-1 and Telkom 3s have been separated as planned on the targeted geostationary orbit,” Stéphane Israël is the Chairman and CEO of Arianespace said in the satellite viewing site named Jupiter control room on Tuesday night local time.

Replacing the position of Telkom 2, the Telkom 3S, which has a lifespan of 15 years, will cover Indonesia and a part of neighboring Malaysia.

Apart from Indonesia, other countries, such as Brazil, Mexico and other South American countries, have also launched their satellites from the country.