LAPAN today inaugurated the S-X Band Mission Control Center antenna at LAPAN Satellite Technology Center in Bogor, West Java, according to LAPAN’s press release. The inauguration was attended by Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Muhammad Nasir.
The full motion antenna with a diameter of 11.28 meters is the largest in Indonesia, and has been integrated with the satellite mission control center building in LAPAN. The antenna is able to receive both the S and X band frequencies and can transmit on S-band. The antenna’s role will be to download imagery from the satellites LAPAN-A2 / LAPAN-ORARI and LAPAN-A3 / LAPAN-IPB. Additionally, this antenna can also receive Automatic Identification System (AIS) data from ships worldwide.
Not only meant for LAPAN satellite data, this antenna is also compatible with data downloads from foreign satellites such as the Landsat-7 and 8; Worldview-1, 2, and 3; GEOEYE-1; Radarsat-2; MODIS (Aqua, Terra, Aura), SPOT-6 and 7; IRS-P5, P6, and P7; Sentinel-1A and 2A; COSMO-Skymed-1, 2, 3, and 4; TerraSar-X; Tandem-X; Compsates-2, 3, and 5; Pleiades-1A and 1B, EROS or satellites working on that frequency.
The antenna is also designed to be able to receive and transmit data from next-generation LAPAN satellites. With this antenna, LAPAN hopes to run its satellite mission operations and data reception optimally. This is a “step forward in realizing the achievement of technological independence in Indonesia”, according to LAPAN.
Along with the inauguration of this antenna, LAPAN also signed a cooperation agreement with PT Telkom in telecommunication, information, media, ‘edutainment’, and aviation and space technology services. LAPAN also signed a draft cooperation agreement with several universities related to satellite development and satellite data utilization.
