Palapa-B is the second generation of communications satellites designed and built for Indonesia by Hughes Space and Communications Company. The series of four satellites were produced for Indonesia's state-owned telecommunications company, Telkom.

All the Palapa-B spacecraft are Hughes HS-376 models, the world's most popular line of satellites. Palapa-B2 also was launched aboard a Shuttle [PAM-D], in February 1984, but it was placed in an improper orbit when the perigee kick motor, provided by an outside vendor, failed. In November 1984, a Space Shuttle crew recovered Palapa-B2 and returned it to Earth for the insurance underwriters. Hughes refurbished the satellite, which eventually was sold back to Indonesia. Renamed Palapa-B2R, the satellite was successfully relaunched in April 1990 aboard a Delta-6925-8 rocket.

The Palapa-B spacecraft are twice as large and have twice the capacity and about four times the power of the Hughes-built Palapa-A satellites they replaced. Each Palapa-B spacecraft, like all HS-376 models, has two telescoping cylindrical solar panels and an antenna that folds for compactness during launch.