Indonesia, Russia plan to build aerospace center in Papua

Couldn't help but wonder how the Aussies will be taking this news...

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From Joyo

Indonesia, Russia plan to build aerospace center in Papua

Feb. 13 (Kyodo) -- Indonesia and Russia plan to build an aerospace center on
an island in Indonesian's easternmost province of Papua to launch rockets and
satellites, a newsweekly magazine said in its Feb. 18 edition, which went on
sale Monday.

Gatra reported that senior officials of the Indonesian and Russian
governments signed an initial agreement last week during a three-day
meeting in the
North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan to build the aerospace center on
Biak
Island.

A memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed during a visit by
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Moscow, the magazine quoted
Hazairin Pohan, director of Middle and Eastern Europe Affairs at the
Indonesian
Foreign Ministry, as saying.

Pohan did not say when Yudhoyono will pay a visit to Russia but earlier media
reports said it will take place in June.

Wisjnu Permana Marsis, secretary general of Indonesia's National Institute of
Aeronautics and Space, or LAPAN, said Biak has been regarded as an ideal site
to build the aerospace center because the island is close to the equator.

According to calculations made by LAPAN, an aerospace vehicle needs a speed
of 7.8 kilometers per second to orbit the earth. However, if it is launched
from an equatorial region, it only needs 7.4 km per second.

The institute also said a rocket launched from the equatorial region can
carry a load that is 25 percent heavier than those launched elsewhere.

Marsis said China, Japan and the United State had earlier showed interest in
building the aerospace center, but "Russia gives the most competitive" offer.

Biak Regent Yusuf Maryen said the local government has prepared 27 hectares
of land for the project, which will be built by Russia's Air Launch Aerospace
Corp. in 2007.

ALAC President Anatoly Karpov told Gatra that in the beginning, ALAC will
invest about $25 million to build the ground base.

Karpov also said the aerospace center will utilize an air launch technology
system. Such a system, he said, is four times cheaper than launching from the
sea and 10 times cheaper than a land-launch system.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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