CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The United States has offered Indonesia a chance to launch a key ‘communications satellite aboard an unmanned NASA Delta, rocket, in a move that would delay a “Star Wars” experiment, officials said Friday.

State Department officials said Indonesia’s Palapa satellite, originally scheduled for launch from a space shuttle Tuesday, could be carried aloft early next year aboard a Delta to help ease a growing ‘communications crisis i the 13,000island Pacific nation.

But only three Deltas remain in NASA’s inventory and they are all booked, The first and last of the trio are scheduled to carry Strategic Defense Initiative — “Star “Wars” — experiments into orbit.

‘Azeezaly Jaffer, a NASA spokesman, said if Indonesia accepts the Delta offer, Palapa probably ‘would replace the Star Wars experiment on the final Delta flight. A new rocket would have to be assembled to carry the military experiment into orbit.

“That’s where we’re proposing to do the swap if they accept the offer,” Jaffer said, “If the offer is accepted and the price is worked ‘out, we will move forward, But as of right now, the offer is the only thing that is being extended to Indonesia.”

Indonesia has just one shuttle launched communications satellite in space and it is not operating properly.

‘A second such satellite, launched in February 1984 from the shuttle Challenger, suffered a rocket failure. It later was returned to Earth by another shuttle crew but Indonesia’s $75 million insurance claim already had been paid and the country no longer owns the relay station

Indonesia faces national elections next year and a fully operational communications satellite is considered crucial for the island nation. The shuttle program, however, is grounded until at least mid1987 and possibly 1988 by the Challenger disaster.

India also needs a satellite launch but State Department officials said the Delta was offered to Indonesia because that nation has a more pressing need for quick access to space.

The last Delta launch May 3 ended in failure when its first stage engine was shut down by a short circuit. A $57.5 million weather satellite was destroyed along with the rocket and the program was grounded for an investigation.

Results of the probe will be submitted Wednesday to Rear ‘Adm. Richard Truly, NASA associate administrator for space flight. The next Delta launching had been scheduled for mid-August but it probably will be delayed because of the lengthy accident investigation.

A replacement rocket for the ‘Star Wars payload that would be “bumped” by Palapa could be built by McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co, from spare parts already available.

A company spokesman said Friday that McDonnell Douglas has enough spare hardware to assemble three additional Deltas, but no order to proceed has been received.

“We certainly haven’t had any confirmation or order from NASA to go ahead and build any,” he said.

As for the spare parts, he said: “We have one rocket partially built, a second stage already built. For that one, we just need to put together a booster.”

“But even so”, he said “it would take 17 to 18 months to assemble and launch the rocket.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 4, 1986