SpaceX continued its busy 2025, sending a satellite high above Earth for an Indonesian telecom company.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Nusantara Lima satellite lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, after being grounded for three days by bad weather.
The satellite, which was built by Boeing, will set up shop in geosynchronous orbit (GEO), 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth. Orbital speed matches Earth’s rotational speed at that altitude, allowing spacecraft to “hover” over one patch of the planet. GEO is therefore a popular orbit for communications, weather and reconnaissance spacecraft.
Nusantara Lima is expected to start work in 2026 after completing a series of checkouts. PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), Indonesia’s first satellite-based private telecom company, will use the spacecraft to beam service to customers across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands, as well as in neighboring countries.
Adi Rahman Adiwoso, CEO of PSN Group
Indonesia was one of the first nations to adopt satellite communications to connect its citizens, and Nusantara Lima continues that legacy. This satellite will empower communities, schools, and businesses that have never had reliable access before. Nusantara Lima, with the capacity of more than 160 Gbps, will strengthen our capability to provide national capacity for our national needs. Our partnership with Boeing and our global technology partners is about making sure no one is left behind as Indonesia grows