Palapa

[4] According to the Pararaton (Book of Kings), Gajah Mada swore that he would not taste any palapa (historians suggest it refers to spice or a kind of flavouring) as long as he had not succeeded in unifying Nusantara (the Indonesian archipelago).

However, it failed to reach the intended orbit following a failure of the third stage of the launch vehicle to reignite as planned.

Other lighthouse projects during the New Order included transport infrastructure, the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah theme park and the country’s national aircraft company.

At the inauguration ceremony of the Palapa satellite system, President Suharto used a switch with 17 jewels (17 is the date of Indonesia's Proclamation of Independence) in the shape of a traditional dagger (kris).

Besides symbolizing national unity and concretely helping to unite the country by serving its purpose as communication infrastructure, the satellite also tied advanced technology to Javanese tradition as epitomized by the inauguration ceremony.