Indonesian Space Activities: The Long and Winding Road

From early 1963 to 2022, Indonesian space activities saw numerous breakthroughs in space technologies, law, and policies, but also multiple challenges, the majority of which were caused by internal political issues. Indonesian space operations can be classified into three epochs: (1) the old order, (2) the new order, and (3) the reformation era. Prior to the reformation era, the most stable environment for Indonesian space development since state policy has strengthened national space infrastructure existed. However, following the political turbulence in 1998, Indonesia's space program has been stalled since the start of reformation administrations, indicating that space initiatives are not a priority. Nonetheless, in the 2000s, Indonesia took a significant step by acceding to four of five international space treaties, significantly altering the course of the Indonesian space program. Indonesia has aspired for space technology independence, and to that end, in 2013, it enacted Law No. 21 of 2013, which paved the way for the Indonesian Space Activities Master Plan 2016–2040 for national space development. Although Indonesia has a defined long-term plan for space program development, the government's political and financial inconsistencies remain a significant impediment. This paper explores Indonesia's national space development policy and the prospects for achieving the country's space development goals by 2040.