Jokowi invites Elon Musk to consider Indonesia as SpaceX launch site

[Hamartia Antidote]

Jokowi invites Elon Musk to consider Indonesia as SpaceX launch site

JAKARTA: Indonesian president Joko Widodo is offering billionaire Elon Musk to use the country’s planned rocket launch site in the remote province ...

www.channelnewsasia.com

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JAKARTA: Indonesian president Joko Widodo is offering billionaire Elon Musk to use the country’s planned rocket launch site in the remote province of Papua for his SpaceX venture.

The president, popularly known as Jokowi, had a telephone conversation with Mr Musk on Friday (Dec 11) to discuss a possible partnership with the billionaire’s electric vehicle company Tesla.


“President Joko Widodo is also inviting (Mr Musk) to consider Indonesia as a SpaceX launching pad,” said a statement from Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs.

Indonesia’s National Institute of Aeronautics and Space is currently building the country’s first rocket launch site in Biak Island in the country’s easternmost province of Papua. The site, which will be used to launch small-sized unmanned space rockets, is expected to be completed in 2024.

SpaceX, which was founded by Mr Musk, is currently launching its rockets from four US facilities.

 

[Whizzack]

Wow..! This is a very surprising proposition from Jokowi to SpaceX..!

However due to ITAR rules I don't see how SpaceX can actually launch a rocket from any other location other than US territory...

On the other hand, perhaps Jokowi was just inviting SpaceX to invest, or be involved as technical advisor/designer in the construction and operation of the planned Biak Spaceport... and not in the rocket tech itself... If that's the case, then hopefully ITAR won't be an obstacle to this sort of cooperation... Afterall a civilian spaceport shouldn't be all that different in status compared to airports or seaports...

That being said, I'm quite surprised that space projects actually even crossed Jokowi's mind... Although he's well known for his love in building all sorts of infrastructure with zeal, all of his infrastructure projects are those that have practical and immediate benefits... Something that a spaceport is not (at least in the near term), although as nation straddling the equator we definitely need to have...