Bengkulu govt to survey site for satellite launching station

Antara News, Sunday, October 17, 2010 21:27 WIB

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - The Bengkulu provincial government will soon survey a location for a satellite launching station in Enggano island in North Bengkulu district.

A proposal for the budget of the project had been made in the revised 2010 statebudget, Head of the Bengkulu Provincial Development Planning Board M Nasyah said on Sunday.

The provincial government and the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN) signed an agreement in August this year to build a satellite launching station in Bengkulu.

Under the agreement, both sides will form a team of officers to conduct a number of studies and surveys to decide a location for the satellite launching station,he said.

"The LAPAN team will conduct the survey, including a six-month feasibility study andan environmental impact analysis. Hopefully, work on the construction of theproject will start in 2011," he said.

Meanwhile, chief of the Enggano Customary Institute Pa`buki Rafli Zen Kaitora asked the government to familiarize the local people with the plan to build the satellite launching station in Enggano island.

He said he found out about the plan from the local media when he was in Bengkulu city."The Enggano people has not been told about the plan," he said.

Analysts believe Bolden may hold talks on possible co-operation
in space with China during his six-day visit [AP]

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ITB organizes International Conference of Earth and Space Sciences

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 07 January, 2010 | 20:48 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Bandung: More than 100 academics and experts, Thursday (7/1), gathered at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).

For two days, 7-8 January, they will discuss earth and space matters at the International Conference of Earth and Space Sciences.

According to the Head of the Organizing Committee Suharja Wiramihardja, the themes to be discussed in the conference are hot topics such as global warming and earthquake predictions.

The scientific session will discuss geology, geophysics, geodesy, mining, refinery affairs, oceanography, farming and astronomy. “We hope there will be a research cooperation resulting from the meeting,” he said.

The event, opened by the ITB rector and also by Kyoto University Rector Hiroshi Matsumoto, will present several speakers, like the Head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences Umar Anggara Jenie, earthquake expert Jim Mori and soil chemistry expert Supiandi Sabiham from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB).

There will be 90 papers presented by researchers from Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.

The Kyoto University alumni forum in South East Asia is organized every year in Thailand and in Indonesia.

This time, for the fifth conference, ITB proposed itself as host, inviting experts and academicians from dozens of fields. “Last year at IPB we only discussed about agriculture,” said Suharja.

ANWAR SISWADI

Indonesia's space agency prepares educational satellite

www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-12 09:10:43

JAKARTA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's National Flight and Space Agency (LAPAN) will help launching program of communication satellite to support long distance education held by the Ministry for the National Education, Kompas daily quoted an official as saying on Saturday.

The satellite named after the country's prominent education hero Ki Hajar Dewantara will be connected to 50,000 points (schools).

The agency's head Adi Sadewo Salatun said on Friday that "tele-education satellite" will refer to concept implemented by many countries like India, China and Nigeria.

The Ki Hajar Dewantara Satellite Program will be prepared in three years, starting from system engineering, tele-education infrastructure preparation to the satellite launch and operation.

Currently, the program is still in feasible study phase, which is expected to take six months.

The satellite operation is expected to help solving problem of the lack of skilled educators and experts in remote areas, Adi said.

The infrastructure could provide knowledge dissemination to villages about health, cleanliness and personal development as well as to help professionals in increasing their knowledge.

The ministry allocated 200 million U.S. dollars for the program preparation to the satellite launch.

The tele-education satellite weighted 820 kg will be launched at the geo-stationer orbit or at height of 36,000 km. The equipment will be loaded with 12 transponders, consisting of education, telemedicine, defense and back-up ones.

The eight education transponder will serve interactive class in200 points and non-interactive class in 40,000 points.

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