WINDS: Developing Domestic Satellite Technology
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - The rapid development of satellite technology is driving progress in the telecommunications sector. Currently, satellites are a vital part of the dissemination of information throughout the world. ITB has the opportunity to be one of the universities where research on satellite technology is being conducted. Taking place at the Radio and Microwave Telecommunications Laboratory (LTRGM) on the ITB campus, the ITB News Agency had the opportunity to interview several researchers involved in the WINDS research project on Friday (04/03/11).
Wideband Inter Networking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite or abbreviated as WINDS, is a research program initiated by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). WINDS research began in 2008, beginning with the launch of this satellite by an H2A rocket on February 23, 2008. This Ka-band satellite has coverage in the Asia Pacific region, especially Southeast Asia. Currently, there are ten research sites spread throughout the Asia Pacific. The satellite's operational period is five years, starting from October 2008 to March 2013.
Mitsuyoshi Iida explained various research experiments that can be tested on WINDS. "The uses of WINDS are very diverse. Several things that utilize the satellite can be tested in research, including educational purposes," he said. telemedicine, disaster mitigation, and radio propagation," said Iida. Representatives from Association of Radio Industries and Businesses This Japan also tells about the Japanese name of WINDS, namely Khizuna which means friendship.
Iida added that the speeds offered by Ka-band technology are among the fastest. "The uplink speed is 27.5 to 28.6 GHz, while the downlink speed is 17.7 to 18.8 GHz. However, there is still a 40 millisecond delay in data transfer," Iida said.
WINDS in the World of Education
Achmad Affandi, a researcher from the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), explained his research on the use of Ka-band satellite technology in supporting the education process in Indonesia. "Ka-band technology offers high speeds for data transfer, making it possible to utilize more applications, such as video," Affandi said.
Affandi gave an example: lecture materials stored on a server in Japan can be directly transmitted via satellite to the Indonesia Higher Education Network (INHERENT). INHERENT is a higher education information system and network development program that connects universities in Indonesia. Satellite technology, supported by the INHERENT network, is expected to facilitate the distribution of educational materials in Indonesia.
Challenges for Indonesia's Climate
Dr. Ir. Joko Suryana, a lecturer at STEI ITB, explained that Indonesia's tropical climate poses a challenge for research in the field of Ka-band satellite technology. "Satellites with Ka-band technology can operate optimally in subtropical climates such as Japan and North America. Indonesia's high rainfall is the main basis for research on how to maintain the quality of transmitted signals," said Joko.
Joko also hopes that satellite technology will develop rapidly in Indonesia. "Indonesia is a vast archipelago, and many areas remain unreached by telecommunications technology. Satellites are the solution to this challenge," Joko said.