Palapa-C1 satellite in orbit next month
Palapa-C1 satellite in orbit next month
JAKARTA (JP): The government has announced that the country's
Palapa-C1 telecommunications satellite will be launched on Jan.
31 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, the United States.
Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave told
members of the House of Representatives in a hearing here on
Monday evening that the technical details of the launch were
still being arranged between Lockheed Martin, an American firm
which will launch Palapa-C1, and PT Satelindo, the private
company which will operate the satellite.
A spokesman for Satelindo, Eddy Thoyib, said that both
technical and non-technical factors, including weather
conditions, might affect the scheduling of the launch.
"But the satellite will be launched before Feb. 9," he said.
He said that after the Palapa-C1 launch in January, Palapa-C2,
which was originally planned as a backup satellite, will be
launched in April 1996 by the France-based Arianespace.
The Palapa-C1 was originally scheduled for launch in October
or November this year by Arianespace. But the company delayed its
launching schedules after two failed launches in 1994.
Because Arianespace rescheduled the launching of the Palapa-C1
into May 1996, the government asked Lockheed Martin to take over
the launching, while Arianespace would be assigned to launch the
Palapa-C2.
The Palapa-C1 will replace the Palapa-B2P satellite, which is
currently in orbit. The timing of the launching for the Hughes-
built Palapa-C1 is vital because the Palapa-B2P satellite is
scheduled to end its operation this month.
According to Thoyib, Satelindo executives will leave for the
United States next week to watch a satellite launching, which
will use the same vehicle as that for the Palapa-C1.
The Palapa-C1, with a lifespan of about 14 years, has 34
transponders, 28 of which will be operated by Satelindo, while
six others will be managed by PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara.
Thoyib said that Palapa-C1's transponders would all be leased
to domestic and foreign subscribers, which were mainly
broadcasting firms. (icn)