Prabowo Administration Secretly Developing Indonesia's Space Sector

The administration of President Prabowo Subianto plans to develop the Indonesian space sector to ensure national sovereignty and unlock economic potential. This initiative will begin with the formation of a Space Directorate in 2025, in collaboration with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

This was stated by the Deputy for Macro Development Planning at the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, Eka Chandra Buana, during an exclusive interview with CNBC Indonesia in Jakarta on Wednesday (16/09/2026).

He noted that the sky is currently filled with numerous satellites due to rapid technological advancements. While there are many benefits, Eka stated that there is currently a lack of regulation, making sovereignty a primary focus.

“We are currently discussing terrestrial issues, but it extends to the heavens. If we look up, there is no regulation in place yet. We can imagine that above our skies, there are thousands of satellites. This must become a concern regarding what our sovereignty will look like,” he said.

Furthermore, Eka views space as a potential source of future growth. He noted that Indonesia’s location on the equator provides a strategic advantage for satellite launches.

“For example, the simplest case is that we are on the equator. If we are launching rockets (satellites), it is most efficient near the equator,” he explained.

“This could be utilised, for instance, as a launch site. Previously, there were plans to launch rockets in Papua because the trajectory is more effective,” Eka added.

Nevertheless, budget constraints remain a challenge for developing space potential in the future. Consequently, the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas is implementing a scale of priorities for the execution of this space development.

The utilisation of space is identified in the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJP) 2025-2045 as a future megatrend.

It is noted that the space economy is projected to grow significantly over the long term, with its value potentially reaching US$1 trillion (approximately Rp17,839 trillion) by 2040.

“The space economy was estimated to reach US$469.0 billion in 2021 and is predicted to continue increasing to US$1.0 trillion by 2040,” according to the National RPJP 2025-2045.

Therefore, nations are expected to increase their capacity for space exploration, particularly in terms of developing advanced technology and human resource competence.