Jakarta, Aug. 21 -- Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology Stella Christie has encouraged Indonesian youth not to shy away from pursuing unconventional fields of study, particularly those related to space and satellite technology.

Speaking at a panel discussion titled "Space: Urgency and Relevance for Indonesia" here Thursday, Christie said the space sector is far from a niche industry and offers wide-ranging career opportunities.

"People often think space means becoming an astronaut -- just one job opening every 10 years. That's not true. Space is a large and growing industry," she said.

Indonesia, she noted, holds strategic advantages in space development due to its equatorial location, which is ideal for satell...