Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) has selected the consortium led by the domestic satellite operator Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) to deploy and operate a broadband telecommunication satellite. This consortium has awarded Thales Alenia Space (Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%)) to design and manufacture the satellite named SATRIA.

The Consortium PSN has formed Satelit Nusantara Tiga (SNT) to be operating company to carry on the project. The shareholders of SNT are PSN, PT Pintar Nusantara Sejahtera (Pintar), PT Nusantara Satelit Sejahtera, and PT Dian Semesta Sentosa (subsidiary of PT Dian Swastatika Sentosa 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 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 Cannes and Toulouse during the duration of the program.

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 has the ambition 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.

“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”, declared Jean Loic Galle, CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “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”.

“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 realizing 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” said Adi Rahman Adiwoso, CEO of PSN.

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

About Thales Alenia Space
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of about 2.5 billion euros in 2018 and has around 8,000 employees in nine countries. www.thalesaleniaspace.com