Artistic rendering of VNREDSat-1 satellite 

Dr. Bui Trong Tuyen, Deputy Director of the Space Technology Institute, said the VNREDSat-1A satellite will be launched in the first half of this year.

“This is the first earth observation satellite to be launched by Vietnam, and will serve as a tool for natural resource identification and location as well as environmental and natural disaster management,” he said.

The VNREDSat -1A programme is estimated to cost EUR55.8 million (USD73.7 million) with the majority coming from French ODA.

“Previously Vietnam has to purchase satellite images at costs from USD2,000 to USD5,000 each, and these would often take several months to be delivered. The launching of VNREDSat -1A satellite would help save both time and money,” he commented.

This means that the country would have the ability for quicker responses to natural disasters and the effects of climate change, he added.

Astrium, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, is responsible for the development, manufacture and launching of the satellite system, under its contract with VAST.

The VNREDSat-1 system will be composed of the optical imaging satellite capable, the ground control system, image reception and processing stations, as well as a joint training programme for Vietnamese engineers.

The satellite, built in Toulouse, is based on the Astrium AstroSat100 satellite, used for the SSOT programme developed with Chile and the ALSAT-2 satellite system developed by Algeria.

The 130-kilo satellite will be put into a 600–700 kilometres in a sun-synchronous orbit.

To date, Vietnam has launched two communications satellites, the first, VINASAT-I was launched in 2008 and the second, VINASAT-II, in 2012.