Vietnam, Belgium hold talks on 2nd remote sensing satellite

The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and Belgian partners at the discussion held from May 27 to 31

The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology held discussions with Belgian partners from May 27 to 31 about the second remote sensing satellite for Vietnam.

The first one was successfully launched early last month.

According to a May 30 report on the portal of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Belgian partners, including Spacebel, AMOS – Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems and QinetiQ Space, who will work as a subcontractor, will support Vietnam in the first phase of designing, manufacturing and launching the VNREDSat-1B satellite.

The VNREDSat-1B satellite, which will weigh around 130 kilograms, is expected to cost around US$77.90 million and partly funded by Belgian official development assistance.

Planned for launching in 2017, the satellite will support the first remote sensing satellite VNREDSat-1 in mapping natural resources, coping with natural disasters, and protect the country's sovereignty.

On May 7, Vietnam's first remote sensing satellite, the 115-kg VNREDSat-1, which cost $75.5 million to build was launched from the Kourou space station in French Guiana in South America.

It was built by the European-owned Astrium Satellites and launched aboard Europe's Vega rocket.

For its satellite, Vietnam built three earth stations and sent 20 engineers to Toulouse to train.

Vietnam has also launched two communications satellites, Vinasat-1 and Vinasat-2, since 2008.

Soucre: thanhniennews.com