Vietnam’s MicroDragon satellite to be launched in December
MicroDragon, a miniaturised satellite developed by Vietnamese engineers, is scheduled to be launched into space in December this year with the assistance of Japan.
MicroDragon will be launched with the assistance of Japan in December. (Photo: VNSC)
The information was announced on October 18 by the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) as part of a joint Vietnam-Japan project on disaster and climate change prevention using earth observation satellites.
According to VNSC Deputy Director Vu Anh Tuan, the project has helped establish a disaster warning, resources management and environmental monitoring system by developing the infrastructure of the VNSC and transferring satellite manufacturing technology.
To date 90% of construction work of the VNSC at the Hoa Lac High-tech Park has been finished and total completion is scheduled for 2019.
Under the project, 36 Vietnamese engineers also completed a satellite programme and succeeded in the manufacture of the 50-kilogramme MicroDragon satellite funded by official development assistance.
Vietnam’s own earth observation satellite is expected to provide imagery of a specific area within 6-12 hours, compared with at least two days when ordering from a satellite imagery provider.
The satellite will be used as a tool to help with preventing and mitigating the impact of natural disasters and climate change as well as managing natural resources.
Prior to MicroDragon, Vietnam had previously built PicoDragon, weighing 1 kilogram and measuring 10 x 10 x 11.35 centimetres. It was launched into orbit in November 2013.
In the future, Vietnam plans to manufacture LOTUSat-1 and LOTUSat-2, two radar satellites weighing approximately 600 kilograms each and measuring 1.5 x 1.5 x 3 metres./.
NDO
