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At the weekly Cabinet briefing today (12), Minister Nalinda Jayatissa revealed an unexpected truth: Sri Lanka has no satellite registered under its name with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) — the UN body that oversees global coordination of information and communication technologies.
How a Satellite Gets Registered
The Minister explained that officially launching a satellite through the ITU isn’t a quick or casual process. It has three formal stages and typically takes between three and seven years to complete.
Submit technical details of the planned satellite network.
Coordinate with other member states to prevent interference.
Notify the ITU of final parameters for registration and international recognition.
Sri Lanka’s Reserved Orbital Slots
Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), an ITU member, holds two reserved geostationary orbital positions — 121.5°E and 50°E.
However, these positions are not entirely exclusive. Other countries, such as Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Romania, may also operate in them without blocking Sri Lanka’s rights.
The Story That Was Told
For years, the public heard of a national space milestone. The name SupremeSat One was presented as Sri Lanka’s own satellite, proof that the island was entering the space race. There were press events, confident speeches, and even talk that the satellite had later been renamed ChinaSat Two in a show of international partnership.
It was an inspiring image: Sri Lanka, a small island nation, sharing orbital space with the giants.
The Reality According to ITU
But the ITU’s registry — the definitive record of satellites in operation — tells another story. There is no satellite named “Sri Lanka” in the nation’s reserved slots. There is no SupremeSat One. There is no ChinaSat Two.
Minister Jayatissa confirmed that both orbital positions remain completely empty — no signals, no activity, no trace of a Sri Lankan satellite.
The Gap Between Dream and Orbit
On paper and in speeches, Sri Lanka’s satellite was real. In the ITU’s hard data, it never existed. Whether the project failed quietly or was always more about image than reality, the result is the same: two valuable geostationary positions, sitting unused like VIP seats at a cosmic event where Sri Lanka never arrived.
The only certainty now? The space above 121.5°E and 50°E is still wide open — waiting for a satellite that carries the name “Sri Lanka.”