The national observatory facility, worth Rp500 billion, will be built in the mountains of Timau in Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara Province.
"The groundbreaking for the construction of the national observatory was planned to take place on May 5, 2018, but it was postponed, as the local government was keen that President Jokowi should officiate the ceremony," Kupang District Head Ayub Titu Eki remarked in Oelamasi on Thursday (3/5).
According to Eki, LAPAN has discussed the matter relating to the construction of the observatory facility with the Kupang district government.
"We have invited President Joko Widodo to officiate the groundbreaking of the national observatory, as we are proud that the state-owned facility will be built in East Nusa Tenggara," Eki stated.
Baca juga: Rp500 Miliar Untuk Pembangunan Observatorium di Kupang
"We will also urge President Joko Widodo to hand over house keys to the Kupang District officials, who do not have houses in Oelamasi, the capital of Kupang Regency," Eki stated.
The Kupang district head added that the local government is working in coordination with the National Road Hall X Kupang to repair the road to Timau Mountains to facilitate the mobilization of equipment and vehicles to the observatory construction site.
The national observatory facility in the Timau Mountains will replace the one in Lembang, West Java, as human settlements have crowded the area.
The Kupang district government has readied 32 hectares of land in Timau Mountains to support the project to construct LAPAN`s national observatory.
Baca juga: Memajukan bidang antariksa dari pegunungan Timau
