Indonesia Courts Spacex As New Rocket Launch Site

Indonesia is courting Elon Musk as a possible rocket launch site for his SpaceX venture.

The south-east Asian country is already in talks with Musk’s Tesla about a possible electric battery partnership.

According to Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs, President Joko Widodo has been in discussions with Musk.

The Tesla billionaire is sending a team to Indonesia in January to look at potential investments, it added.

One option to be discussed is building a plant in Central Java.

Indonesia is home to large deposits of copper, nickel and tin, and aims to become the world’s biggest producer of electric vehicle batteries.

However, apart from an investment partnership with Tesla, President Widodo has also asked Musk to look into the possibility of setting up a space launch station in Indonesia.

Indonesia’s National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) has plans to construct its first spaceport. It will be located in Biak, on the island of Papua.