Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional | |
Agency overview | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | LAPAN |
Formed | 27 November 1963 |
Dissolved | 1 September 2021 |
Superseding agencies | |
Type | Space agency |
Headquarters | Rawamangun, Pulo Gadung, DKI Jakarta |
Administrator | Thomas Djamaluddin |
Primary spaceport | Pamengpeuk Spaceport |
Employees | 1,246 (2020)[1] |
Annual budget | Rp.792 billion (US$55 million) (2019)[2][3] |
Website | www |
The National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Indonesian: Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional, 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.[4]
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).[5][6] As of September 2021, the disbandment process is still on process and expected to be finished on 1 January 2022.[7][8]
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.[9]