When a Chinese rocket malfunctioned shortly after launch in April 2020, destroying Indonesia¡¯s $220 million Nusantara-2 satellite, it was a blow to the archipelago¡¯s efforts to strengthen its communication networks.

But it presented an opportunity for one man.

Elon Musk ¡ª the owner of SpaceX, the world¡¯s most successful rocket launcher ¡ª seized on the failure to prevail over state-owned China Great Wall Industry Corp. (CGWIC) as Jakarta¡¯s company of choice for putting satellites into space.