The National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (, LAPAN) was the Indonesian government's space agency. It was established on 27 November 1963, by former Indonesian president Sukarno, after one year's existence of a previous, informal space agency organization. LAPAN is responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research.

For over two decades, LAPAN managed satellites, including the domain-developed small scientific-technology satellite LAPAN-TUBsat and the Palapa series of telecommunication satellites, which were built by Hughes (now Boeing Satellite Systems) and launched from the US on Delta rockets, or from French Guiana using Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 rockets. LAPAN has also developed sounding rockets and has been trying to develop small orbital space launchers. The LAPAN A1, in 2007, and LAPAN A2, in 2015, satellites were launched by India.

With the enactment of Presidential Decree No. 33/2021 on 5 May 2021, LAPAN is due to be disbanded along with government research agencies such as the Agency of Assessment and Application of Technology (Indonesian: Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi, BPPT), National Nuclear Energy Agency (Indonesian: Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional, BATAN), and Indonesian Institute of Sciences (Indonesian: Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia, LIPI). All of those agencies fused into newly formed National Research and Innovation Agency (Indonesian: Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, BRIN). As of September 2021, the disbandment process is still on process and expected to be finished on 1 January 2022.

On 1 September 2021, LAPAN was finally dissolved as an independent agency and transformed into the space and aeronautics research organization of BRIN, signaling the beginning of the institutional integration of the former LAPAN into BRIN.

History On 31 May 1962, Indonesia commenced aeronautics exploration when the Aeronautics Committee was established by the Indonesian prime minister, Djuanda, who was also the head of Indonesian Aeronautics. The secretary of Indonesian Aeronautics, RJ Salatun, was also involved in the establishment.

On 22 September 1962, the Initial Scientific and Military Rocket Project (known in Indonesia as Proyek Roket Ilmiah dan Militer Awal or PRIMA) was formed by an affiliation of AURI (Indonesian Air Force) with ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology). The outcome of the project was the launching of two "Kartika I" ("star")–series rockets and their telemetric ordnances.

After two informal projects, the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) was established in 1963 by Presidential Decree 236.

Programs For more than 20 years, LAPAN has done research on rocketry, remote sensing, satellites, and space sciences.

Satellites

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

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

LAPAN-A1 The LAPAN-A1, or LAPAN-TUBsat, is designed to develop knowledge, skill, and experience with micro-satellite technology development, in cooperation with Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, where the satellite was manufactured. The Indonesian spacecraft is based on 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 a 1000 mm lens, resulting in a nadir resolution of 5 m and nadir swath of 3.5 km from an altitude of 650 km. In addition, the satellite carries a video camera with a 50 mm lens, resulting in a 200 m resolution video image with swath of 80 km at the nadir. The uplink and downlink for telemetry, tracking, and command (TTC) is done in the UHF band and downlink for video is done in S-band analog. On 10 January 2007, the satellite was successfully launched from Sriharikota, India, as an auxiliary payload with India's Cartosat-2, in the ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C7, to a Sun-synchronous orbit of 635 km, 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 Tubsat performed technological experiments, earth observation, and attitude control experiments.

LAPAN-A2 The mission of LAPAN-A2, or LAPAN-ORARI, is Earth observation using an RGB camera, maritime traffic monitoring using an automatic identification system (AIS)—which can know name and flag of the ship registered, ship type, tonnage, current route, departure and arrival ports—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 the capability to design, assembly, integrate, and test (AIT) micro-satellites. The satellite was successfully launched on 28 September 2015 using India's ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and will pass over Indonesia every 97 minutes, or 14 times a day.

LAPAN-A3 LAPAN-A3, or LAPAN-IPB, will perform experimental remote sensing. In addition to that, the satellite will support a 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 a resolution of 18 m and coverage of 120 km from 650 km altitude. The satellite was launched in June 2016.

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

Spaceport development plan

Biak Spaceport plan (2006) Since 2006, Indonesia and Russia have been discussing the possibility of launching a satellite from Biak island using air launch technology. LAPAN and the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) have worked on a government-to-government space cooperation agreement in order to enable such activities in Indonesia. The plan is for an Antonov An-124 aircraft to 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 (the nearer the equator the greater the initial velocity imparted to the launched craft, making higher velocity or heavier payloads possible). In the spaceport, the launch vehicle will be fueled, and the satellites will be loaded on it. The Antonov An-124 would then fly to 10 km altitude above the ocean east of Biak island to jettison the launch vehicle.John J. Klein. Space warfare: strategy, principles, and policy. McGraw Hill Professional, 2006. .196 pages. PP 85. Google reference: Indonesian Space Port, Indonesian Satellite Association (ASSI), Number 9, Volume II, February 2001 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. In 2019, LAPAN officially confirmed plans for building the Biak spaceport, with first flights expected in 2024.

Enggano Launchpad plan (2011) In 2011, LAPAN planned to build a satellite to be launchpad at Enggano Island, Bengkulu province, located in the westernmost part of Indonesia, on the Indian Ocean. 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. The satellite launch pad itself sits on only one hectare of ground, but the safety zone covers 200 hectares. The cost to be disbursed is Rp.40 trillion (around $4.5 billion). The location can handle the assembly of the rockets and launch preparations for satellites of up to 3.8 tonnes. - in Indonesian The Bengkulu Natural Resources Conservation Agency has expressed concerns about the plan, because both parks are habitats for a number of bird species native to Enggano Island. The Bengkulu provincial government refused to consider those concerns.

Morotai Spaceport plan (2012) After studying the surrounding environment at three potential spaceport island sites (Enggano-Bengkulu, Morotai-North Maluku, and Biak-Papua), LAPAN (21/11) announced Morotai Island as a future spaceport site. Planning started in December 2012. The launch site's completion is expected for 2025. In 2013, LAPAN planned to launch an RX-550 experimental satellite launcher from a location in Morotai to be decided. This island was selected according to the following criteria: Morotai Island's location near the equator, which makes the launch more economical. The island's having 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 consequently little potential for social conflict with native inhabitants. Morotai Island's east side facing the Pacific Ocean directly, reducing downrange risks to other island populations.

Field installations

Ground stations

Remote-sensing satellite ground station The Stasiun Bumi Satelit Penginderaan Jauh (Remote Sensing Satellite Earth Station) is located at Parepare, South Sulawesi; it has been in operation since 1993. 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.

Weather satellite ground stations These ground stations are located at Pekayon, Jakarta, and Biak; since 1982 they have been receiving, recording, and processing data from NOAA, MetOp, and Himawari weather satellites 24 times a day.

Rocket launch site LAPAN manages Stasiun Peluncuran Roket (Rocket Launching Station) located at Pameungpeuk Beach in the Garut Regency on West Java (). Starting in 1963, the facility was built through cooperation between Indonesia and Japan, as the station was designed by Hideo Itokawa, with the aim of supporting 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.

Radar

Koto Tabang Equator Atmospheric Radar 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.Kototabang Equator Atmospheric Radar Facility Information Detail

Laboratory

Remote Sensing Technology and Data Laboratory The Remote Sensing Technology and Data Laboratory is located at Pekayon, 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 making geometric, radiometric, and atmospheric corrections.

Remote Sensing Applications Laboratory