Indonesia is strengthening collaboration across sectors to accelerate the development of its National Spaceport on Biak Island, Papua, aiming for independent access to space and increased global competitiveness.
Biak Island Spaceport Development
The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is aligning policies, regulations, and infrastructure readiness with relevant ministries, institutions, regional governments, defense and security stakeholders, industry players, and universities to achieve this goal.
Acting Deputy for Development Policy at BRIN, Anugerah Widiyanto, stated the spaceport development is supported by a strong legal framework, including Law No. 21/2013 on Space Activities, Presidential Regulation No. 45/2017 on the 2016–2040 National Space Master Plan, and Government Regulation No. 7/2023 on Space Technology Control.
“The Draft Government Regulation on Spaceport Operations has completed the harmonization process and is ready to serve as the operational foundation for development,” Anugerah said in a statement released on December 19, 2025. “In addition, the national space master plan needs to be updated through 2045 to align with Indonesia’s long-term development vision.”
Studies on a spaceport in Biak date back to 1990 and require updating to reflect technological advancements, evolving national needs, and current environmental conditions.
Biak Island’s proximity to the equator offers a strategic geographical advantage, providing greater energy efficiency and lower launch costs for missions to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The global space economy, estimated to account for around five percent of global gross domestic product, also presents opportunities for Indonesia.
“The development of the Biak Spaceport will generate strong multiplier effects for the region, including job creation, economic growth, and the strengthening of Indonesia’s space diplomacy,” Anugerah said.
BRIN Head Arif Satria emphasized that the development of a national spaceport is a strategic mandate to reinforce Indonesia’s independence in accessing outer space. BRIN is formulating derivative regulations to facilitate site designation and project implementation, including the opening of BRIN-owned land in Biak, planned to begin in 2026.
The Biak Spaceport is expected to serve both domestic needs and become a hub for international cooperation. However, Satria stressed that accelerating space development requires more than just physical infrastructure.
“We must avoid overlapping authorities. What we need is an integrated system,” Arif said on January 3, 2026.
Institutional arrangements are currently being reviewed in coordination with the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB) and other relevant agencies, though functional effectiveness is considered more important than organizational structure alone.
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