'Telkom-2' satellite launched<\/p>\n
Agencies, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After nine delays since November last year, the Telkom-2
\nsatellite owned by the country's largest telecommunications
\ncompany, PT Telkom, was launched on an Ariane-5 rocket in Kourou,
\nFrench Guiana, on Wednesday at 6:46 p.m. local time, or Thursday
\nat 6:46 a.m. Jakarta time.<\/p>\n
Antara reported the launch was witnessed by State Minister for
\nState Enterprises Sugiharto and the board of directors and board
\nof commissioners of Telkom at the firm's satellite control
\nstation in Cibinong, Bogor, south of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
An Ariane-5 rocket earlier launched the Spaceway 2 satellite
\n-- owned by U.S. broadcast satellite company DirecTV -- into
\ngeostationary orbit 27 minutes after liftoff, the Associated
\nPress reported. It was followed by Telkom-2 six minutes later,
\nthe news agency quoted Arianespace, the commercial arm of the 13-
\ncountry European Space Agency, as saying.<\/p>\n
The Spaceway 2 will ensure high-definition programming to U.S.
\nsubscribers and will expand standard-definition programming,
\nwhile Telkom-2 will expand satellite communications in Southeast
\nAsia and the Indian subcontinent, Arianespace said. Combined, the
\ntwo satellites have a weight of 8,000 kilograms.<\/p>\n
The Telkom-2 satellite cost US$170 million and will have a
\nlifespan of 15 years. It replaces the Palapa B4 satellite whose
\nlifespan expired in May 2003, Antara said.<\/p>\n
From 24 transponders on the Telkom-2 satellite, 18 have been
\nsubscribed to while the remaining six will be offered with annual
\nrental fees of $1 million.<\/p>\n
Because of its geography, Indonesia is highly reliant on
\ntelecommunications satellites.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands and
\n220 million inhabitants,\" Garuda Sugardo, Telkom's vice
\npresident, told Reuters after the launch. \"We cannot cover this
\nterritory with land lines or cable.\"<\/p>\n
The launch of the two satellites was postponed twice last week
\nbecause of technical problems at the launch center.<\/p>\n
The launch was the fourth this year for Arianespace. It marked
\nthe 168th Ariane mission since the European launcher first began
\noperating in 1979.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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