Vietnam has yet to receive signal from NanoDragon satellite

Epsilon-5 solid-fuel rocket carrying NanoDragon and  eight other small satellites of Japan flies into outer space. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Two out of nine satellites have yet to receive signal from the earth station 22 days after they were launched into orbit, said Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) Le Xuan Huy.

They are ARICA test satellite developed by Aoyama Gakuin University of Japan and Vietnam’s NanoDragon satellite.

Studied, designed and manufactured in Vietnam, NanoDragon was successfully launched into outer space at a height of 560km from the Uchinoura Space Centre in Japan's Kagoshima prefecture on November 9.

Before the launch, NanoDragon underwent four rounds of safety inspection by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with the strictest standards and important environment, shock and functional tests. It also passed rounds of examination in Vietnam and was sent to Japan for launching under JAXA’s plan on August 6.

All tests in Japan were closely monitored by its developer VNSC, the Kyushu Institute of Technology, JAXA, High-Reliability Engineering and Components Corporation (HIREC) and MEISEI – partner of VNSC in Japan and supplier of test equipment for NanoDragon.

VNSC also discussed eventualities that could happen to NanoDragon and sought measures with MEISEI and JAXA, Huy said, adding that VNSC’s engineers are actively seeking signal from the satellite./.