Telkom-3 Satellite Returns To Earth After 8 Years Of Disappearance

JAKARTA - Reportedly missing eight years ago, the Telkom-3 Satellite is now being detected back on Earth. The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan) is also predicting the trajectory of the fall of the Indonesian satellite.

"There is uncertainty in the prediction of the time it falls, because the object falls uncontrollably, so that the orientation of the satellite and the air resistance it experiences can vary. The amount of resistance or braking determines the time the satellite falls," said LAPAN researcher Rhorom Priyatikanto in his written statement, Friday, February 5.

Rhorom said that since January 30, 2021, the satellite has reached an altitude of less than 200 kilometers and is expected to experience reentry on February 5, 2021. This is the first time a large space object belonging to Indonesia has fallen.

The location of the fall of the Telkom-3 Satellite cannot be predicted accurately. Based on the latest orbital parameters with an epoch of 4 February 2021 at 22:56 WIB, and based on the reentry time window mentioned earlier, only the approximate path of the Telkom-3 Satellite crash location was obtained.

Regarding the monitoring of Telkom-3 Satellite reentry, Lapan coordinates with PT Telkom Indonesia Tbk, Telkomsat, and Roscosmos Russia.

The fall of the Telkom-3 Satellite which has an orbit with an inclination of 49.9 degrees is estimated to have a very low risk of casualties, which is around 1: 140000. The main considerations for this risk estimate are the distribution of the human population on Earth in 2021 and the inclination of the Telkom-3 Satellite orbit. The risk value is well below the alarming threshold, for example the United States uses a 1: 10000 threshold.

However, Lapan continues to check the status of the object and coordinate with PT Telkom Indonesia Tbk and Telkomsat regarding the satellite reentry.

The Telkom-3 satellite (COSPAR-ID 2012-044A, NORAD-ID 38744) is a satellite made by ISS Reshetnev, Russia based on the order of PT Telkom Indonesia Tbk. The satellite was launched on August 6, 2012 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, but technical problems caused it to fail to reach orbit.

The satellite, which weighs 1,845 tons, does not contain radioactive material and it is estimated that most of the satellite's mass will burn when it enters the atmosphere, leaving 10-40 percent of its original mass.

Based on international conventions, launching countries are fully responsible for the victims / losses arising from falling objects in space. The Launching Country includes the owner country, the launching country and the launching country. So that the Indonesian side, in this case PT Telkom, in accordance with the mandate of Law Number 21 of 2013, is the owner of space objects, has insurance to cover possible losses incurred to third parties from the satellite reentry incident.