Telkom-1 satellite launch may be delayed
Telkom-1 satellite launch may be delayed
JAKARTA (JP): PT Telkom has not received formal notification
from European space launcher Arianespace concerning a possible
delay in the launch of its Telkom-1 satellite, a company
spokesperson said on Thursday.
"Arianespace has not given us formal notification on the
matter. So, Telkom will stick to the agreement to launch Telkom-1
in early July until we receive formal notice," Dodi Amirudin told
The Jakarta Post.
He said if a delay was called, it would not be the first time.
"Telkom-1 was first scheduled to be launched on April this
year, then it was delayed to July due to the unpreparedness of
the co-passenger satellite."
Dodi said another delay, however, would not in anyway change
the agreement between Telkom and Arianespace.
"We're not going to switch to other space launchers. We have
made our agreement and paid all the expenses."
Delays do not cause any financial loss to Telkom, because
under the existing agreement Telkom-1's manufacturer Lockheed
Martin covers maintenance costs in the event of delays.
Arianespace's vice president for sales Philippe Berterottiere
said on Wednesday the launching date of the new Telkom-1
satellite had been postponed.
"Telkom-1 cannot be launched as scheduled in July along with
the Asiastar radio satellite," he told AFP.
He did not mention a new tentative schedule for the launching,
or the reason for the delay.
Arianespace previously scheduled Telkom-1 to be launched
together with co-passenger satellite Asiastar in the first or
second week of July.
Berterottiere said Telkom-1 had been "slightly delayed" and
Asiastar had been "significantly delayed".
In April 1997, Arianespace signed a deal with Telkom to launch
the Telkom-1 satellite using an Ariane 504 rocket from the
European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Telkom-1 will be the third Indonesian satellite launched by
Arianespace, after Palapa C2, launched in 1996 and Indostar in
1997.
The satellite is set to carry on services provided by Palapa-
B2R, which is due to end its service life in mid-2001.
The satellite, weighing 2,632 kilogram at liftoff, and
carrying 24 C Band transpondents and 12 Extended C Band
transpondents, will operate for up to 17 years at its orbital
location of 108.0 degrees east.
Telkom said the new satellite was expected to be ready for
commercial operation in September 1999, and would cover countries
in the southeast Asian region, as well as northern Australia.
Telkom-1 will provide various telecommunications services,
including multimedia and high speed Internet via satellite, a
satellite telephony network and news gathering, analog or digital
broadcasts and backbone transmission.
Worth US$191.4 in total, the satellite project comprises a
$84.6 million satellite contract with Lockheed Martin, a $90.1
million launch contract with Arianespace, a $15 million insurance
package with local firm Jasindo and $1.6 million in consultancy
services with Canadian firm Telesat. (cst)