New broadband telco satellite to be launched in Indonesia

Thales Alenia Space has been chosen to design and manufacture the broadband telecommunication satellite named SATRIA.

The company was chosen by a consortium, selected by Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo). The consortium was led by the domestic satellite operator, Pasifik SatelitNusantara (PSN). Thales Alenia Space (Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%).

The Consortium PSN has formed Satelit Nusantara Tiga (SNT) to be the operating company to carry on the project.

The shareholders of SNT are PSN, PT Pintar Nusantara Sejahtera (Pintar), PTNusantara Satelit Sejahtera, and PT Dian Semesta Sentosa (subsidiary of PT Dian SwastatikaSentosa Tbk).

PSN and Pintar are the majority shareholders of SNT and both will maintain majority ownership in the operating company throughout the project lifetime.

Acting as the prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space will deliver the Very High Throughput (VHTS) satellite based on its Spacebus NEO full electric platform and fitted with a fifth-generation digital processor (5G).

The company will also be in charge to provide two satellite control centers (main and backup), the telecommand and telemetry stations, and the ground mission segment linked to the fully processed payload.

In addition, Thales Alenia Space will put in place a complete training program for PSN engineers, where part of them will join the project team as residents in Cannesand Toulouse during the duration of the programme.

Thales Alenia Space CEO Jean Loic Galle says, "We are particularly honored to provide to PSN for Kominfo its first VHTS telecommunication satellite which will be the most powerful one over the Asian region.

"SATRIA will take benefit of all the expertise already developed by Thales Alenia Space on its Spacebus NEO platform as well as on its VHTS payloads. After Palapa-D and Telkom-3S satellites, we are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with Indonesian operators.

The full Ka-band SATRIA satellite will carry more than 150 gigabits per second over the full Indonesian territory.

Dedicated to narrow the digital divide, SATRIA intends to connect around 145,000 areas including 90,000 schools, 40,000 hospitals and public buildings as well as regional government sites not linked by existing satellite or terrestrial infrastructure.

The satellite will contribute to the digital infrastructure developments in Indonesia.

PSN CEO Adi Rahman Adiwoso says, "As a consortium of Indonesian company, PSN and its partners are very proud and grateful for the full trust given by the Government of Indonesia, especially Kominfo, to lead the largest satellite project in the region.

"We look forward to working together with Thales Alenia Space, a leading manufacturer, in realising our goal to provide an accelerator for equal access in our communities.This project will undoubtedly give our archipelago the means for steeper growth, which we are eager to be a part of.

SATRIA is expected to be launched in Q4 2022 and will be positioned in orbit at 146°E for a 15 year life time.