The Palapa Space Communication System

Indonesian social development has depended greatly upon the PALAPA space communication system since 1976 as one major component in the creation of a national infrastructure to enhance business development and the dissemination of national cultural information. The success of the first two satellites in serving telephone and television and in setving the Asean region has made it necessary to assure the continuity of these operations through the 1980\u27s and beyond. Replacement Bl and B2 satellites have been contracted for delivery in early 1983. The uncertainties of placing these two new satellites in their chosen geosynchronous orbit locations has presented some unique problems of management particularly in respect to the choice of launch vehicles due to launch uncertainties , and the assessment of the risk of potential launch failure on ongoing telecommunication system operations. Planning for recovery from the many contingencies presented as potential catastophies in the path to successful replenishment of the present space system has necessitated consideration of a number of strategies involving launch schedule for alternate vehicles , launch insurance, relaunch costs, as well as component production delays and launch slot availability for space flight operations.The objective of these management considerations have been to minimize costs to the Indonesian government while providing a high degree of assurance that the required communication capacity of the satellite system will be maintained in support of the national telecommunication system