This satellite was the beginning of the Palapa Satellite program which began in February 1975 , therefore the contract awarded to Boeing Satellite Systems (formerly known as Hughes Space and Communication Inc.) from the United States at that time included the construction of 9 earth stations , 1 main control station, and procurement of 2 satellites (Palapa A1 and A2 ). Construction of the 10 stations was completed in 17 months, one of the fastest for Boeing.  

In a separate contract, a total of 30 other earth stations were built to be operated by Perumtel. The Palapa satellite program which began operating since 1976 has placed Indonesia as the third country in the world to operate a Domestic Satellite Communication System using the GSO Satellite.

Generation A Palapa Satellite was specifically designed and built to be able to concentrate its signal strength throughout the Indonesian archipelago, especially its main islands plus neighboring countries such as Malaysia , the Philippines , Singapore and Thailand . A generation A satellite was built by Hughes based on his HS-333 design.

Palapa A has 12 transponders with a capacity of around 6000 connection lines or 12 color television channels or a combination of both. The contract states that this Satellite can operate for 7 years. This satellite has a height of 3.7m (including antenna) and is 1.9m in diameter. The antenna itself is a parabolic dish with a diameter of 1.5m. At launch, this satellite weighs 574kg, while its weight is in orbit at 297 pounds.

According to wikipedia