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.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
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.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
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.