SpaceX founder Elon Musk will visit Indonesia for the launch of the company’s Starlink internet satellite service in the country on May 19, state media reported, citing a senior minister.
According to Antara news agency, the American tech billionaire will join Indonesian President Joko Widodo to inaugurate the aerospace company’s broadband services at the World Water Forum (WWF) in Bali. This announcement was made on Wednesday by the country’s Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
“The President, together with Elon Musk, will launch Starlink in the hopes of facilitating communication in remote areas. The launch will take place on Sunday,” the minister was cited as saying.
Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi confirmed that Starlink has obtained business licenses to operate as a telecommunications provider in Indonesia. He mentioned that the satellite-powered internet provider would help the country expand internet access to regions that are not covered by local internet providers due to geographical challenges.
Currently, Starlink is available in various countries including France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brazil, and Chile.
Unlike most satellite internet services that come from single geostationary satellites orbiting the planet at 35,786 km, resulting in high latency, Starlink’s constellation of thousands of satellites orbits much closer to Earth at about 550 km. This significantly reduces latency to 25 ms compared to 600+ ms, as stated on the company’s website.
SpaceX is unique among satellite operators in its ability to launch satellites as needed with frequent, low-cost launches, ensuring that Starlink satellites are constantly updated with the latest technology.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully put 20 more Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, into Earth’s orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This marked the company’s 50th orbital mission of 2024.