By: Ayu Nabilah*
Researchers explore Indonesia’s role in space debris monitoring as Mount Timau Observatory opens in East Nusa Tenggara.
The Internet. Online maps. Imagine our lives without these two. Thanks to the signals transmitted from thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth, now fewer people get lost in the street and we can get connected with our loved ones in one click away. But what if someday these satellites got hit by one of the millions of space debris passing through their pathways? Can we prevent that accident?
And is there anything Indonesia can do to help tackle this debris?
In celebration of World Space Week 2026, Indonesian Science Affairs interviewed Abdul Rachman, coordinator of the newly established Timau National Observatory, in East Nusa Tenggara, and listened to Andre Pandie, a postdoctoral fellow in the observatory, who spoke at BRIN’s webinar series “100 Hours Astronomy for All”.
Both are captivated by the science of space debris and address the important role of the newly established Timau Observatory in strengthening Indonesia’s contribution to space debris monitoring, adding a new voice in international space science.
We also spoke to Avivah Yamani, founder of Langit Selatan, a platform dedicated to bringing southern skies closer to audiences in Indonesia and beyond, to discuss what this development means for Indonesia’s astronomy and science infrastructure in the eastern part of the country.
Satellites: Practical Use of Astronomy
Abdul, a 52-year-old Makassar native, was in his undergraduate year at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) when AsiaSat-3, a Hong Kong communication satellite,, failed to reach its intended orbit and was left stranded in space. Engineers sent the spacecraft past the Moon twice and used lunar gravity as a slingshot to bring the satellite to its intended trajectory.
Looking at that space-engineering marvel, “I got more interested in studying the orbits of objects in space rather than characteristics of stars, because it shows us the practical use of astronomy,” says Abdul, who is a space researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
Studying satellites has become increasingly relevant as they are crowding our space now, says Abdul. Since the launch of AsiaSat-3, thousands of other satellites have been sent to space, powering internet connections across the globe, witnessing the disappearance of the rainforests, environmental degradation, as well as the development of modern human civilization in the 21st century.
Today, around 47,080 satellite objects orbit the Earth, but two-thirds of them are no longer operating. These “junks” could hit active satellites. “It means they can’t be controlled from the Earth, with a chance of creating collisions,” says Andre Pandie during a BRIN webinar on October 2, 2026.
Space Debris, A Ticking Time Bomb
The United Nations (UN) defines space debris as all human-made objects orbiting Earth that are no longer in use. These include inactive satellites due to their maximum design life (5-15 years) and the rockets that brought them to orbit. Most of this junk, though, is tiny. With the size of 1 mm to 10 cm, fragments resulted from breakup during launch, could collide with other satellite debris.
“One speck might be as small as a marble, but the collision energy is as high as a motorcycle running at 110 km per hour,” says Pandie, who was born in Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara.
The chance of having such a collision is getting higher, says Pandie, because more satellites are crowding space. SpaceX, a giant space company owned by the controversial tycoon Elon Musk, is working on its ambitious mega constellation project, proposing 1.23 million new satellites despite its 11,102 Starlink satellites already orbiting the Earth. Musk believes there is still enough room for these, but researchers are worried.
“Models estimate there could be about 1.5 million fragments measuring 1 to 10 centimeters and around 230 million fragments measuring 1 millimeter to 1 centimeter, with a total mass of more than 17,000 tons,” Pandie says.
“Even the smallest fragments can be dangerous because they can travel at speeds of around 7.5 to 15 kilometers per second,” Pandie added.
This high-speed collision can produce new fragments which then might collide with other objects, creating cascading impacts called Kessler Syndrome. “Active satellites that are powering our telecommunication system could be hit,” Abdul added.
But the risks of collisions can be estimated and monitored, says Pandie. Through observation, data analysis, and modelling, scientists could predict space debris movement and its chance for collisions.
This is the role of Abdul and Pandie in the Timau National Observatory.
The Rise of Timau National Observatory Indonesia
In 2017, the Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) assigned a team of astronomers from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) to search for the location of Indonesia’s next national observatory. The Bosscha laboratory in Bandung, which was built in 1923, is already old and often surrounded by clouds and heavy amounts of light pollution.
Their search stopped at Mount Timau, East Nusa Tenggara. The sky there is dark and, compared with Bandung, it has fewer clouds.
“The Eastern region of Indonesia has a tropical climate and is relatively dry, so there are more and more clear skies and less rain, so that in 1 year we can get clear skies above 60%,” says Abdul.
This is a positive development for science infrastructure in Eastern Indonesia, which used to be neglected for a long time, says Avivah Yamani, the founder of Langit Selatan.
“This will become an astronomy lab that provides research opportunities for astronomers and students in astronomy and physics interested in the field. It can also give students from universities across Indonesia greater access to astronomy research,” says Avivah.
Space Debris Monitoring in Timau
Timau National Observatory could also improve space debris observation in Indonesia. Equipped with a 3.8-meter optical telescope, the observatory could capture more light than the telescope in Bosscha. Celestial objects, which are very faint and superfast, says Abdul, can be observed.
“This makes the telescope well suited for observing space debris, because satellites and debris move across the sky much faster than stars,” he says.
The advanced facilities are also strengthened by expert manpower. In October 2025, Pandie, who was born in Rote Island and gained his postgraduate degree in Japan and Russia, joined the Timau National Observatory as a postdoctoral fellow who focuses on space debris engineering. Andre’s engineering expertise complements Abdul’s expertise, which mostly focuses on astronomy. Both are now working on Active Debris Removal (ADR), which is the next step in tackling space debris by actively capturing and disposing of space debris, rather than passively waiting until the debris falls into the atmosphere.
Located in the Indonesian archipelago, the telescope adds new data and perspective for international space science, says Abdul.
Indonesia’s equatorial location allows more balanced observation of the northern and southern skies, he says. The majority of observatories are located in the Earth’s northern regions, such as the United States, Europe, Japan, and China. This makes the global space science focus more on conducting astronomical research of the northern skies, while the southern part of our planet still lacks observatories.
Indonesia also provides a strategic position for monitoring communication satellites in geostationary orbit, says Abdul. Its wide geographic span also enables observation across different longitudes, allowing continuous observations regardless of weather disruptions.
BRIN is currently developing a space situational awareness system using optical and radio telescopes in Agam, West Sumatra. Some of BRIN’s station facilities in Bogor, West Java, and Biak, Papua, are also being promoted for use by the international satellite community. The development of these telescopes could serve as part of the effort to strengthen research infrastructure at the Timau National Observatory.
“With the Timau telescope, we can observe very faint satellites or space debris. People always want to observe smaller space debris around 10 cm, because it is the riskiest and is not in the catalogs that we usually get from the United States. So it will be good if we can observe it, because we have a telescope with a large mirror, in a dark place, and located on the equator.” Abdul explained.
For him, these geographical advantages are an opportunity Indonesia should not overlook. “It would be a shame if we had these privileges but didn’t use them,” he concluded.
Support for Indonesia’s Astronomy
Avivah calls for long-term government support for the Timau Observatory, which could help Indonesia expand its contribution to space observation from the equator.
“In Indonesia, the challenge often comes to funding and maintenance. I hope Timau National Observatory will remain a priority despite widespread budget cuts.”
The development of the observatory started in 2013, and researchers are still waiting for complete mirror installation early next year.
She also says Timau National Observatory should open wider access to all Indonesian university students interested in doing research on astronomy.
“I’m looking forward to reading observation results from Timau,” she says.
*) Ayu Nabilah is an Indonesian Science Affairs Fellow 2026. She is a freelance writer based in West Java, Indonesia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Bogor Agricultural University and is interested in how environmental, economic, and social systems interact and shape one another.
**) This article is produced with support from the Indonesian Science Affairs Fellowship 2026, a knowledge-sharing initiative organized by the Society of Indonesian Science Journalists (SISJ), ScienceWatchdog.id, and Indonesian Science Affairs.