SpaceX Deploys Satellite to Bridge Connectivity Gap in Rural Indonesia

June 18 (UPI) — SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday, carrying a communications satellite that will provide internet service to Indonesia.

The rocket took off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Although the launch window opened at 6:04 p.m., liftoff was delayed by about 15 minutes due to upper level winds. A backup window was prepared for the following day.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 6:21 p.m. amidst partly cloudy skies.

This launch marks SpaceX’s 240th mission and the 148th from the SLC 40 launchpad. The company has already completed 40 missions in 2023.

The entire launch was streamed live on YouTube, providing viewers with an up-close look at the liftoff.

Known as the PSN SATRIA mission, the primary goal is to place the SATRIA satellite in geosynchronous orbit, allowing it to maintain a fixed longitudinal position as the Earth rotates.

The SATRIA satellite is part of a major project valued at $550 million. Its purpose is to bring high-speed internet service, with speeds of up to 150 GB per second, to previously unserved areas of Indonesia. The project is supported by the Indonesian government, aiming to provide improved connectivity to health and education centers, as well as public WiFi access points.

Weighing an estimated 4.6 metric tons, the SATRIA satellite was built by Thales Alenia Space in France and transported to Cape Canaveral in May.

The weather forecast for the launch window predicted 60% acceptable weather conditions.

The first stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket has been used on 11 previous missions, including four Starlink missions. It was successfully recovered by a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean approximately eight minutes after launch, marking the 212th recovery of an orbital-class rocket.

The deployment of the PSN SATRIA satellite was expected to occur approximately 36 minutes after liftoff.