Vietnam will launch its first remote sensing satellite in 2014,according to the Space Technology Institute of the Vietnam Academy ofScience and Technology.
Head of the SpaceTechnology Institute Associate Professor Doan Minh Chung said that thesatellite, called VNREDSat-1, will be designed and assembled usingFrench technology in 2013.
The 130kg satellite willbe capable of capturing earth images from almost 700km into space, tomonitor and study the effects of climate change, monitor naturaldisasters and manage natural resources and the environment.
The VNREDSat-1 project has a total investment of 55.8 million EURsourced from the French Government’s official development assistance.The project will include the lease of a satellite launching pad andadvisors to the project.
The launch of the satelliteand an image receiving and processing station will save Vietnamexpenditure on purchasing satellite pictures as well as information anddata on storms, floods, forest fires and oil spills, he said.
The project will be carried out by the academy as part of its strategyon space technology application and research until 2020.
Earlier, with the cooperation of US aerospace manufacturer LockheedMartin, Vietnam successfully launched the VINASAT 1 satellite toprovide telecom services./.