As scheduled, at 9.06 am of May 07, 2013 (Hanoi’s hour), Vietnam’s first earth observation satellite VNREDSat-1 was launched into space with launch vehicle VEGA from launch site Kourou, Guyana under the Republic of France. ArianeSpace Company carried out the launching of VNREDSat-1 together with other two satellites which are PROBA V of the European Space Agency - ESA and ESTCube-1 of Estonia. Images of the Satellite Launching Event from was broadcast live in the Ceremony in Hanoi.
Professor Châu Văn Minh – President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology delivered a speech in the Welcome Ceremony
The missile was in preparation to be launched in Kourou Launching Platform, Guyana under the Republic of France
Delivering a speech in the Welcome Ceremony of successfully launching VNREDSat-1 satellite, Professor Châu Văn Minh – Member of the Central Party, President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology emphasized this has been an event of very important meaning, which would open new development steps in Vietnam’s space industry following the success of telecommunication satellite projects of Vinasat1 (2008) and Vinasat2 (2012). The success of VNREDSat-1 satellite project not only has had the important meaning for S&T but also contributed to define Vietnam’s position during the world integration in general and especially in the field of space exploitation for peaceful purposes served for human benefits in particular.
In 2006, the Government approved “The Strategy on Space Research and Use by 2020” and we have invested to gradually establish the technical infrastructure for the use of satellite technology as building the National Center for Remote Sensor; Vietnam Space Center; designing, manufacturing and launching telecommunication satellites Vinasat1, 2 and earth observation satellites;…
On behalf of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Professor Châu Văn Minh expressed his sincere thanks for the Party and Government’s guidelines and support, coordination and assistance of relevant Ministries, Committees and Branches, at the same time Professor Châu Văn Minh also sincerely thanks for close cooperation with French partners as EADS Astrium, Arianespace, TPZ during the implementation course of the Project in order to achieve good results as today. Professor Châu Văn Minh affirmed that Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology would continue promoting achieved results, withdrawing experience, making more efforts to gain bigger results, contributing more to the successful implementation of stated objectives in the Strategy on Space Research and Use by 2020.
VNREDSat-1spacecraft is able to take images of the whole universe and has tasks of taking images of the whole Vietnam (including the mainland and territorial waters), meeting requirements of sensor images of Ministries and sectors serving observation of the nature, environment, disasters and other requirements of the country.
The event of launching VNREDSat-1 spacecraft into the orbit has been one important milestone which marks the initial successful development of Vietnam’s S&T in absorbing and mastering Earth observation minisattelie and the important and encouraging result in order to implement the national Strategy on Space Research and Use by 2020 approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 137/QĐ-TTg dated June 14, 2006.
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Some features of VNREDSat-1
VNREDSat-1 Project has been developed based on research and study on domestic practical needs and new development trends of Earth observation mini satellite technology in the world.
VNREDSat-1 Project has the total investment of Euro 55.8 million from preferential ODA fund provided by the French Government and VND 64,820 million matching fund of Vietnam. VNREDSat-1 satellite has been designed and manufactured by Astrium SAS under the European Aeronautic Defense and Space group (EADS) which is specialized in manufacturing satellite of France.
VNREDSat-1 Project is the coordination to take up advantages of available infrastructure of the System of receiving, archiving and processing images of sensor satellite of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in order to create a complete and independent sensoring system from satellites to ground receiving stations and center for processing and distributing sensoring images in Vietnam.
VNREDSat-1 satellite is Earth observation fiber satellite, which is able to take images of all areas on the surface of the Earth. Its task is to take imagery in PAN and 4 multispectral (MS) with repeating time of 3 days. The satellite has the solar synchronized orbit (SSO), the height of 680. The earth optics is 2.5m (PAN) and 10m (MS). The satellite has the shape of 600mm x 570mm x 500mm and weighs about 120kg. The design life is 5 years. |