The Indonesian island of Biak is isolated and small. It’s home to Indigenous groups who hunt wild boar and fish for their dinner. They don’t get a ton of foreign visitors. But the Indonesian government is trying to get a prominent outsider to focus on this island: Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX. Officials hope the billionaire will build a spaceport on Biak, which is very close to the equator — as are most launch sites. But many locals aren’t sure they want any attention from Musk. The World’s Patrick Winn reports.
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!