December 2018 will launch "Made by Vietnam" satellite
The MicroDragon satellite, manufactured and developed by Japan with support from the Vietnam Space Center, will be launched into space in December 2018, marking a new step forward in Vietnam's mastery of small satellite manufacturing technology.
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| The MicroDragon satellite has been completed and is ready to be launched into space. Photo: VNSC |
According to Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Space Center - Vu Anh Tuan, this is a national key project to carry out the tasks set out in the "Strategy for Research and Application of Space Technology to 2020". The project uses preferential ODA capital from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in coordination with the Vietnam Space Center (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) and was approved by the Prime Minister in 2006.
After 7 years of implementation, the Project has upgraded and established a system to warn and mitigate the impacts of climate change and natural disasters, manage natural resources and monitor the environment, contributing to socio-economic development and ensuring national security through the development of the National Space Center infrastructure, and the development and transfer of technology to manufacture Earth observation satellites.
The project has chosen to use high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and a ground station system to collect, process and apply satellite image data. The SAR satellite system is a remote sensing system using active sensors, with many advantages. By owning the satellite, Vietnam can proactively collect information and proactively increase the monitoring frequency.
The Project's Earth Observation Satellite System is used as a means to serve disaster and climate change prevention and mitigation as well as natural resource management.
This system will ensure earth observation in case of emergency disasters under all weather and climate conditions; build and process satellite data to serve the monitoring and early warning of natural disasters and environmental disasters; early forecasting of agricultural output and seafood resources, updating electronic map systems for land management and planning; research and prevention of global climate change.
To date, the project has completed 90% of the construction items of the Vietnam Space Center at Hoa Lac High-Tech Park, implemented with counterpart funds of the Project, expected to be completed in 2019. According to the plan, the MicroDragon satellite will be supported by Japan to be launched into space in December 2018.