[Satellite TODAY 05-12-10] Lockheed Martin won a contract from the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) to build the Vinasat-2 satellite, with delivery due by the second quarter of 2012, Lockheed Martin announced May 12.
    Vinasat-2 will be based on Lockheed’s A2100 spacecraft platform and feature 24 Ku-band fixed high power communication channels, providing uplink and downlink coverage over Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos from 131.8 degrees East. Lockheed Martin also will secure a launch and perform in-orbit testing.
    Lockheed Martin delivered Vietnam’s first national satellite Vinasat-1 in 2008 for $300 million dollars, with launch services contracted to Arianespace. “From the shared success of the Vinasat-1 project, I do believe that Lockheed Martin will be able to again meet the schedule requirement and jointly cooperate with VNPT for the successful implementation of the Vinasat-2 Project,” VNPT Board Chairman Pham Long Tran said in a statement.
    Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.