PT Telkom Indonesia (Telkom) is set to launch their Merah Putih satellite on August 4 by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

T Telkom Indonesia's Merah Putih satellite.
Photo is courtesy of SSL.

According to a Telkom press release, the Merah Putih satellite was delivered to the launch base by manufacturer Space Systems Loral (SSL).

The Merah Putih satellite has a capacity of 60 active transponders, consisting of 48 C-band transponders and 12 extended C-band transponders. The satellite, which has a lifespan of 16 years, will cover Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Executive Comment

Telkom’s VP of Corporate Communications, Arif Prabowo, said that the satellite is scheduled for a launch to 108 degrees East longitude on August 4 via a Falcon 9 rocket, according to official statement the company received from launch service provider SpaceX as the launch service provider. Arif added that SSL had started building the satellite in early 2016 and completed production earlier than scheduled. He added that the launch would strengthen Telkom’s satellite business, which had been preceded by Telkom-2 and Telkom 3S.