Indonesia government offering proposed launch site to SpaceX and others
As part of its effort to promote a long term space industry development plan, Indonesian officials have repeatedly been offering a proposed launch site to SpaceX and others on government land on the island of Biak off the coast of New Guinea.
The map to the right shows the location. First SpaceX and China were offered use of Baik. Neither has accepted. Then,
As recently as 2023, BRIN officials promoted their spaceport plans at the G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting and Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum. China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and India were invited as potential partners, but none signed on.
Meanwhile, the article says Indonesia hopes to launch 19 satellites in 2025, using a variety of commercial launchers.
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As part of its effort to promote a long term space industry development plan, Indonesian officials have repeatedly been offering a proposed launch site to SpaceX and others on government land on the island of Biak off the coast of New Guinea.
The map to the right shows the location. First SpaceX and China were offered use of Baik. Neither has accepted. Then,
As recently as 2023, BRIN officials promoted their spaceport plans at the G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting and Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum. China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and India were invited as potential partners, but none signed on.
Meanwhile, the article says Indonesia hopes to launch 19 satellites in 2025, using a variety of commercial launchers.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
The Celebes are right on the Equator.
The Kennedy Space Center sans SpaceX is pretty much obsolete at this point.
Need to shut down the pointless SLS and hand most of the LC area over to SpaceX and fully convert the rest over to a tourist attraction.
The NASA civil servants can try and find a real job.
It is an interesting idea, but . . . Even if SpaceX could find a way to navigate ITAR issues, I think it’s not going to be easy to make a launch site there make business sense in terms of their logistics, supply chains, and workforces — even if Indonesia literally subsidizes them.
I keep recommending the east end of Vieques.
Once the space economy really gets going, equatorial launch sites will be a must. Rand Simberg calls equatorial LEO (ELEO) “Earth’s Natural Harbor”. For an economy that relies on frequent reusable tanker flights and on-orbit depots and tugs that need periodic refilling, the conclusion is compelling.
To many ITAR issues to let Space X use the latest and greatest tech outside of the US.
But other smaller companies could use it if the tech is old enough. Like solid fuel rockets. Shipping them over would be easy.