16 November 2009

Indonesian Students Ready To Launch Nano-Satellite In 2012

INSPIRE Nano-Satellite
An Indonesian student made mini satellite or nano-satellite to be launched in 2012, because the discussion between students from Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Bandung Technological Institute (ITB), University of Indonesia (UI), and Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya (PENS) from Surabaya Technological Institute (ITS) with Indonesian students overseas has already begun.

"Starting this year (2009), we conducted a series of meetings with students from various campuses," said Dedy HB Wicaksono, PhD., researchers from Indonesia in the TU Delft the Netherlands, At Surabaya, Monday.

In between Workshops of INSPIRE (Indonesian Satellite Platform Nano Initiative for Research & Education) in PENS ITS, he said the meeting would continue with an intensive research in the Netherlands or in Indonesia.

"INSPIRE is an inter-student meeting forum with various stakeholders from government and research institutions to encourage the mastery of satellite technology from the students," he said.

Alumnus of Teknik Fisika ITB Bandung (S1) in the year 1934-1998 was declared Indonesia desperately need satellites to map forests, fisheries, natural disasters, islands, sea crime, and so on.

"We already have the Palapa Satellite and its age was 30 years. The technology created outside the country, so that foreign exchange will be sucked out and we finally have no independence," said alumnus of Tokyo University of Technology (S2).

According to this alumnus of TU Delft Netherlands (S3), the big satellite requires an expensive fund hundreds of billions or even trillions rupiah, but the nano-satellite is only Rp 5 billion range and mini satellites would last for three-year period.

"Not only cheap, but nano-satellites that could easily be in our hands, let alone within the existing educational elements, aspects of technology applications, and cross-scientific research such as telecommunications, electronics, solar energy, and so on," he said.

Therefore, the originator of the INSPIRE said, the lecturers can encourage telecommunications students who have been formulate their final assignment (TA) of telecommunications devices such as mobile phone, now can lead their TA in the field of satellites.

"So, the discussion can be carried out in 2009, then in 2010 with intense research, the TU Delft even very happy if the research can be conducted in the Netherlands, then in 2011 made the preparation and in 2012 will be the launch," he said.

Likewise, the Secretary of Communication and Information Minister, Dr. Eng. Son Kuswadi, said the funds to build a nano-satellite is only Rp. 5 billion and when began with the meetings, researchs, until finally launching nano-satellites, it will need funding of about Rp. 10 billion.

"The discussion through workshops which involved dozens of students from various universities that we will do two times during the year 2009, including discussions with LAPAN, BPPT, IPTN, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries," he said.

After that, the lecturer of robotics of PENS ITS Surabaya said, intensive discussions for the application will be conducted at the TU Delft in the Netherlands and in Indonesia until the year 2011.

"In 2012 we'll do the launch, whether the launch will take advantage of similar institutions in Indonesia, such as LAPAN who already have a rocket launch site or may LAPAN is ready in that year," he said.

He added that the use of nano-satellites will be applied for telecommunications function in a natural disasters and prevention of illegal fishing. "In the future, could also for weather sensors," he said.

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