National Institute of Aeronautics and Space

The first program was the Palapa A1 (launched August 7, 1976) and A2 (launched October 3, 1977). The satellites were almost identical to Canada's Anik and Western Union's Westars. Although the satellites belonged to the government-owned company Perumtel, the spacecraft were made in the United States.

The development of microsatellites has become an opportunity for LAPAN in developing its space program. The development of such satellites requires only limited budget and facilities, compared to the development of big satellites. Meanwhile, the capability to develop micro-satellite will brings LAPAN to the readiness state to implement a future space program that will have measurable economic impact, and therefore contribute to the country's sustainable development effort.

Lapan-A1 or Lapan-Tubsat is designed to transfer of knowledge, skill and experience on micro-satellite technology development from Technische Universität Berlin, Germany to LAPAN. The spacecraft is based the German DLR-Tubsat, but includes a new star sensor and features a new 45 × 45 × 27 cm structure. The satellite payload is a commercial off-the-shelf video camera with 1000 mm lens, resulting in nadir resolution of 5 m and nadir swath of 3.5 km from 650 km altitude. In addition to that the satellite carries another video camera with 50 mm lens, resulting in 200 m resolution video image with swath of 80 km at nadir. The uplink and downlink for telemetry, tracking and command (TTC) is done in UHF and downlink for video is done in S-band analog. The satellite was successfully launched to Sun-synchronous orbit of 635 km as auxiliary payload in Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C7 from Sriharikota, India on January 10, 2007. LAPAN Tubsat performed technological experiments, earth observation and attitude control experiments.[5]

The mission for LAPAN-A2 or LAPAN-ORARI is Earth observation using RGB camera, maritime traffic monitoring using an automatic identification system (AIS) which can know about name and flag of the ship registered, ship type, physical and tonnage of the ship, correct and current route, departure and arrival port, and amateur radio communication (text and voice; ORARI is Indonesian Amateur Radio Organization). The satellite will be launched as a secondary payload of India's ASTROSAT mission into a circular orbit of 650 km with an inclination of 8 degrees. The purpose of the project is to develop capability to design, assembly, integration and test (AIT) process of a micro-satellite in Indonesia. The satellite was successfully launched on 28 September 2015 using India's ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and will monitor Indonesia every 97 minutes or 14 times a day.[6][7][8][9]

LAPAN-A3 or LAPAN-IPB will perform experimental remote sensing mission. In addition to that, the satellite will support global AIS mission and amateur radio communication. The satellite payload is a four-band push broom multi-spectral imaging camera (Landsat band: B, G, R, NIR), which will give resolution of 18 m and coverage of 120 km from 650 km altitude. The satellite has been launched in June 2016.[4][10]

In 2008 Indonesia signed an agreement with the Ukrainian National Space Agency (NSAU) that will allow access to rocket and satellite technologies.

Since 2006 Indonesia and Russia have been discussing the possibility of launching a satellite from Biak island using Air Launch technology. LAPAN and Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) have worked on a government-to-government agreement in space cooperation in order to enable such activities in Indonesia. It is planned that Antonov An-124 aircraft will deliver a Polyot space launch vehicle to the new Indonesian spaceport on Biak island (West Papua province). This spaceport is well suited to commercial launches as it sits almost exactly on the equator - any space vehicle launched at the equator has a greater initial velocity imparted to it, making higher velocity or heavier payloads possible. In the spaceport, the launch vehicle will be fuelled and the satellites will be loaded on it. The Antonov An-124 carrying the launch vehicle is to fly at 10 km altitude above the ocean East of Biak island to jettison the launch vehicle [11][12] In 2012, discussions resumed. The main stumbling block is Russian concerns over compliance with the terms of the Missile Technology Control Regime; Russia is a co-signatory, Indonesia is not.[13] In 2019, LAPAN officially confirmed plans of building Biak spaceport, when a first flights are expected in 2024.[14]

In 2011, LAPAN planned to build a satellite launchpad at Enggano Island, Bengkulu province, located at the westernmost part of Indonesia at the Indian Ocean coast. There are three possible locations, two in Kioyo Natural Park and one in Gunung Nanua Bird Park. The most strategic site for this launchpad is inside Nanua Bird Park, a place called Tanjung Laboko which is 20 meters above sea level and far from residential areas.[15] The satellite launch pad requires area only one hectare, but the safety zone requires 200 hectares. The cost to be disbursed is Rp.40 trillion (around $4.5 billion). The location is also available for assembly of the rockets and launch preparations for satellites of up to 3.8 tonnes.[16] The plan has concerned from the Bengkulu Natural Resources Conservation Agency because both parks are habitat for a number of bird species native to Enggano Island, which ended by rejection by Bengkulu Province government.[17]

After studying the surrounding environment in three potential spaceport island sites (Enggano-Bengkulu, Morotai-North Maluku, and Biak-Papua), LAPAN (21/11) announced Morotai Island as a future spaceport site.[18] Planning started in December 2012. The launch site's completion is expected in 2025. In 2013, LAPAN planned to launch an RX-550 experimental satellite launcher from a location in Morotai to be decided.[19] This island was selected according to the following criteria:

• Morotai Island's location near the equator, which makes the launch more economical.
• The island has seven runways, one of them 2,400 meters, easily extended to 3,000 meters.
• The ease of building on Morotai, which is not densely populated, and little potential for social conflict with native inhabitants.
• Morotai Island's east side faces the Pacific Ocean directly, reducing downrange risks to other island populations.

The Stasiun Bumi Satelit Penginderaan Jauh ("EO Satellite Ground Station") is located at Parepare, South Sulawesi. Its main functions include receiving and recording data from earth observation satellites such as Landsat, SPOT, ERS-1, JERS-1, Terra/Aqua MODIS, and NPP operation since 1993.

These ground stations, located at Pekayon, Jakarta and Biak, receive, record, and process data from NOAA, MetOp, and Himawari weather satellites 24 times a day since 1982.

LAPAN-TUBSAT was the first Indonesian surveillance micro-satellite, launched on 10 January 2007 by ISRO PSLV-C7 with Cartosat-2 developed with Technical University (TU) Berlin, where the satellite was manufactured. It circles the earth 14.5 times a day at an altitude of 630 km, in a polar orbit with an inclination of 97.60° and a period of 99.039 minutes. The longitude shift per orbit is about 24.828° with a ground track velocity of 6.744 km/s with an angular velocity of 3.635 deg/s, and a circular velocity of 7.542 km/s.

LAPAN manages a launch site called Stasiun Peluncuran Roket (literally "Rocket Launching Station"), located at Pameungpeuk Beach in the Garut Regency on West Java (7.646643°S 107.689018°E / -7.646643; 107.689018). The facility was built from 1963 through cooperation between Indonesia and Japan, as the station was designed by Hideo Itokawa with the aim to support high atmospheric research using Kappa-8 rockets. This installation comprises a Motor Assembly building, a Launch Control Center, a Meteorological Sounding System building, a Rocket Motor Storage hangar and a dormitory.

The Radar Atmosfer Khatulistiwa Koto Tabang is a radar facility located at Koto Tabang, West Sumatra. It commenced operations in 2001. This facility is used for atmospheric dynamics research, especially areas concerning global climate change, such as El Niño and La Niña climate anomalies.[20]

The Remote Sensing Technology and Data Laboratory is located at Pekayon in Jakarta. Its functions include: data acquisition systems development, satellite payload imager systems development, satellite ground station system development, preliminary satellite imagery image processing, such as geometric correction, radiometric correction and National Remote sensing Data Bank.

The Remote Sensing Applications Laboratory at Pekayon, Jakarta, has main function works with remote sensing satellite data applications for Land Resource, Coastal-Marine Resources, Environment Monitoring and Disaster Mitigation.

The Laboratorium Motor Roket is located at Tarogong, West Java. It designs and produces rocket propulsion systems.

The 'Laboratorium Bahan Baku Propelan ("Combustion Propellant Laboratory") researches propellant, such as oxidizer Ammonium perchlorate and Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene.

The Satellite Technology Laboratory is located at Bogor, West Java. Its functions include: research, development and engineering of the satellite payload, the satellite bus and facilities of the ground segment.

The Aviation Technology Laboratory is located at Rumpin, West Java. Its functions include: research, development and engineering of aerodynamics, flight mechanics technology, propulsion technology, avionics technology and aerostructure.

The Equatorial Atmosphere Observatory of LAPAN are located at Koto Tabang, West Sumatera, has a function for research on, (1) High-resolution observations of wind vectors will make it possible to study the detailed structure of the equatorial atmosphere that is related to the growth and decay of cumulus convection; (2) From long-term continuous observations, relationships between atmospheric waves and global atmospheric circulation will be clarified; (3) By conducting observations from near the surface to the ionosphere, it will be possible to reveal dynamical couplings between the equatorial atmosphere and ionosphere. (4) Based on these results, transports of atmospheric constituents such as ozone and greenhouse gases, and the variations of the Earth's atmosphere that lead to climatic change such as El-Nino and La-Nina, will be revealed.

The 'Stasiun Pengamat Radiasi Matahari (Monitoring Stations [for] Solar Radiation) observe ultraviolet radiation of the sun. Operations began in 1992. These facilities were developed by Eko Instrument from Japan, and are located at Bandung and Pontianak.

For decades, Indonesian astronomy depended on the Bosscha Observatory in Lembang, West Java, which was built in 1928 by the Dutch and, at that time, had one of the largest telescopes in the southern hemisphere.

At present Aerospace Observatory of LAPAN are located at Pontianak-West Kalimantan, Pontianak-North Sulawesi, Kupang-East Nusa Tenggara and Watukosek-East Java, has a function for the observations in the field of Climatology, Atmosphere, Sun and Geomagnet.

The new observatory construction project on Mount Timau in Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, which is expected to be functioning by 2020, is set to be the biggest observatory in Southeast Asia.[21] The observatory is built with cooperation of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Nusa Cendana University (UNdana). It is designated as National Observatory (Obnas), which will have a 3.8m telescope. The area around Obnas is developed as a National Park, with the aim of attracting tourists. The aim of the observatory is to

• build Indonesian space science up to a high degree, and
• strengthen the regions and villages, and allow for equitable distribution of inter-regional development, especially in Eastern Indonesia.

Obnas is one of LAPAN’s key strategic objectives, along with mastery of rocket technology, building a launch site, growing its National Remote Sensing Data Bank (BDPJN) and National Earth Monitoring System (SPBN), and overall technological development.

RX-100 has: diameter of 110 mm length of 1900 mm mass of 30 kg and length of 1900 mm. Functions: to test rocket payload subsystems. Propellant type: solid-composite Fuel time: 2.5 seconds, Flight time: 70 seconds Maximum speed: Mach 1. Range: 11 km, 7000 m altitude, Payload: Diagnostic,: GPS, altitude meter, gyro, 3-axis accelerometer, CPU processor and battery.

Two-stage rocket launching RX-150-120 supported by TNI-AD (Indonesian Army) and PT Pindad. Rocket with cruise distance 24 km was successfully launched from moving vehicle (Pindad Panser) on March 31, 2009.

R-Han 122 rocket has capability of a land-to-land weapon with a shooting range up to 15 kilometers with 1.8 Mach speed and on March 28, 2012 fifty R-Han 122 have been successfully launched.[23] The rocket are the result of the six years LAPAN's work. By 2014, at least 500 R-Han 122 rockets will be part of army arsenal.[24]

The main rocket, the Lapan RX-250 were launched regularly between 1987 and 2005.

In 2008 Lapan successfully flew two RX-320. These 320 mm diameter rockets were launched on 2 July and 30 May 2008 at Pameungpeuk, West Java.

Category: micro-satellites orbital launch vehicle, similar to Lambda from Japan, but with lighter modern materials and modern avionics. Launch unguided at a 70-degree angle of inclination with a four-stage solid rocket motor launcher.[25]

Diameter: 420 mm Length: 6200 mm Lift-off mass: 1000 kg. Propellant: solid composite, firing time 13 seconds Thrust: 9.6 tons Flight duration: 205 seconds Maximum velocity: mach 4.5 Range: 101 km, 53000 m altitude Payload: diagnostic, GPS, altimeter, gyro, 3-axis accelerometer, processor and battery. The RX-420 was entirely built using local materials.

LAPAN carried out a stationary test on RX-420 on 23 December 2008 in Tarogong, West Java. The RX-420 missile was tested at the launching station Cilauteureun, Pameungpeuk District, Garut regency, West Java. The LAPAN RX-420 is the test bed for the entirely indigenously developed satellite launch vehicle. RX-420 is suitable for launch of micro-satellites (50 kg or less) and nano-satellites (5 kg or less) currently in co-development with Technical University of Berlin

The rocket launching plan will be extended in 2010 by launching combined RX-420-420 and in 2011 for combined RX-420-420 – 320 and SOB 420.

At planning stage are the RX-420 with multiple customizable configuration boosters and the planned 520mm RX-520. The RX-520 is predicted to be able to launch 100 kg+ payload into orbit. This large rocket is intended to be fueled by high-pressure liquid. Hydrogen Peroxide and various hydrocarbons are under evaluation. Addition of RX-420 boosters to the RX-520 is calculated to increase lifting capacity to 500 kg+ payload, although if too expensive, the proven Russian Soyuz and Energiya will likely be employed.

RX-520 consists of one RX-420 and two boosters of RX-420 in stage-1, one RX-420 in stage-2, one RX-420 in stage-3 and as a payload launcher one RX-320 in stage-4.[26]

In 2013, LAPAN intends to launch an RX-550 experimental satellite launcher from some point in Morotai to be decided.[19]