NanoDragon satellite officially transferred to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on August 17 (Photo courtesy of the Vietnam National Space Centre) In the era of rapid development of science and technology, and as thedevelopment of space science and technology in Vietnam is set to meet the needsof the 4th Industrial Revolution, towards the nation’s industrialisation andmodernisation, there are many opportunities and also many challenges.
Le Xuan Huy, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Space Center under the VietnamAcademy of Science and Technology said the strategy for development andapplication of space science and technology until 2030, dated February 4, 2021,was approved with the general objectives, including applying achievements ofspace science and technology; focused investment in a number of fields relatedto national defence and security, natural resources and environmentalmanagement, monitoring and support to reduce damage caused by naturaldisasters, providing a variety of other services.
“The strategy has shown the Party and State's interest in the development ofspace science and technology in the country, it also creates many opportunitiesfor scientists, manufacturers, businesses and stakeholders in this field,” Huysaid.
For this field, Vietnam has had important milestones. In 1980, Pham Tuan wasthe first Asian astronaut to fly into space. In 2006, the Space TechnologyResearch and Development Strategy towards 2020 was approved by the Government.In 2008, Vietnam made VINASAT-1 satellite, its first telecommunicationssatellite. In 2012, the Vietnam Space Center Project was started. In 2013, Vietnam'sfirst remote sensing satellite, VNREDSat-1, was launched into orbit. Also in2013, PicoDragon satellite was the first satellite completely manufactured by Vietnam(weighing 1kg). In 2019, the MicroDragon satellite, which weighs 50kg, was madeby 36 Vietnamese engineers and supported by many Japanese professors in thedesign and development process.
Most recently, the NanoDragon satellite, made entirely in Vietnam, was alsomoved to the Uchinoura Space Center launch site, Kagoshima Prefecture, insouthern Japan. It is expected to be launched into orbit on October 1, 2021.
The satellites that Vietnam owns have brought many benefits to socio-economicdevelopment, including in environmental monitoring, meteorology, mapping,forecasting and impact assessment of climate change, effective detection ofillegal fishing vessels; analysis of long-term water pollution trends;monitoring rice cultivation and detecting natural phenomena related toagriculture such as drought and salinity damage, as well as collecting data onlocal forest status in remote areas, Huy said.
The strategy for development and application of space science and technologytowards 2030 has solutions for human resources development for the field,including establishment and upgrading of at least five training institutions;developing training codes, programme frameworks, and output standards foraeronautics and spaceflight majors; developing strong research groups,including about five groups on space science and 15 groups on space technology.
Huy said the development of space science technology in Vietnam still facesmany difficulties and challenges such as limited infrastructure, financialresources, human resources, and supporting industries. Therefore, besidesrealising the common goals, it is urgent to pay attention to the development ofhuman resources in science and technology in the future.
In particular, he said, in order to develop space science and technology in ourcountry, it is also necessary to involve the young generation right now, nurturetheir passion, raise awareness and understanding about science and technology,about the universe; prepare for them the capacity, skills, teamwork skills, andprofessional working style.
General Director of Vietnam Space Center Pham Anh Tuan said that the Party andState should define outer space as one of five spaces (land, airspace, sea,cyberspace and outer space) that Vietnam needs to master to protect nationalinterests.
In addition, space technology requires a large investment of financial resources,human resources and time, he said.
“Without a guarantee of direction, it is very difficult for an organisation todare to invest. The Party and Government need to ensure a balanced andsustainable development orientation for this field by formulating Vietnam's Lawon Space, which is a premise for other sectors to feel secure in investment anddevelopment,” Tuan said.
In addition, in order to develop space science as well as the space industry, Vietnamneeds to promote the need to exploit applications from space technology,creating an attractive enough demand for economic sectors and technologystart-ups. At the same time, the State needs to have policies to mobilise humanresources with a good working environment, good remuneration policies, toattract and prepare the human resources./.
VNA
