The Government of Indonesia has officially enhanced its strategic partnership with the Government of India in the field of space exploration. This cooperation was marked by the extension of a memorandum of understanding between the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), witnessed directly by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Merdeka Palace on Tuesday (7/7/2026).
Head of BRIN, Arif Satria, explained that this momentum strengthens the operational foundation of both countries in the utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes. One tangible realization of this partnership is the launch of an Indonesian-made satellite produced by BRIN. The satellite is scheduled to be launched into space via a launch facility in India in January 2027.
"We specifically designed this satellite to support the national food security agenda through precision monitoring of agricultural sector productivity. In addition, this satellite data will serve as a crucial instrument in natural resource management and environmental surveillance, including monitoring the condition of our forest cover," said Arif.
Furthermore, Arif revealed that the bilateral discussions also touched upon plans to construct a spaceport in Indonesia. Biak, Papua, is mentioned as one of the locations being carefully considered as a strategic launch site. The meeting between President Prabowo and PM Modi provided strong directives to immediately accelerate technical collaboration regarding this launch facility through intensive communication between the relevant authorities of both countries.
