SpaceX rocket launches Indonesian communications satellite into orbit

By Alimat Aliyeva

The American Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the Indonesian high-bandwidth telecommunications satellite Merah Putih 2 (HTS-113BT) into orbit, Azernews reports, citing the press service of the SpaceX carrier developer company.

The launch was carried out from the 40th launch pad of the American Space Forces base at Cape Canaveral in Florida at 15:11 East Coast time (00:11 Baku time). After about 34 minutes, the satellite was launched into a geotransfer orbit.

The 4-ton PT Telkom Satelit Indonesia (Telkomsat) device is designed to provide communication services, digital broadcasting, high-speed Internet access, as well as data transmission in Indonesia in the C- and Ku-bands, providing a bandwidth of 32 gigabits per second.
It will improve communication with thousands of islands in the Indonesian archipelago.

"The satellite will help improve the bandwidth, quality and digital connectivity in Indonesia, especially in areas that are not yet covered and do not have terrestrial networks," said Telkomsat President Andy Fitri Erlianto.

The service life of the satellite, created by the Italian-French firm Thales Alenia Space, is designed for 15 years. It will be operated in geostationary orbit.

As part of the launch, the first reusable stage of the launch vehicle, which was used for the 17th time, after separation made a controlled vertical landing on the Just Read the Instructions marine drone platform, which was located in the Atlantic.