JAKARTA. Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Indroyono Soesilo says he supports the satellite program undertaken by the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) that aims to help turn Indonesia into the world's maritime axis.

He said Indonesia’s huge, sprawling territory required the 24/7 satellite technology to be used for monitoring purposes.

This could be achieved, he said on Wednesday, only through the remote-sensing satellite dubbed "INASAT".

In a meeting on Tuesday with head of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), Unggul Priyanto, and LAPAN head Thomas Djamaluddin, Indroyono said he fully supported the satellite project.

He said the remote-sensing technology could be used to monitor forest fires, natural disasters, provincial spatial zoning and illegal fishing.

The geo-satellite stations have been set up in Pare-pare, South Sulawesi, at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) office in Jakarta and the INDESO compound in Bali.

Editor: Hendra Gunawan