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[Satellite TODAY 02-22-13] The Vietnamese Government has approved a plan to launch its first remote sensing satellite VNREDSat-1A on Arianespace’s Vega rocket from the European Guiana Space Center in South America, Vietnamese Deputy Director of Institute of Space Technology Bui Trong Tuyen confirmed Feb. 22.
“The VNREDSat-1A satellite will deliver Earth observation, monitoring and analysis of natural resources and environmental management and monitoring of natural disasters throughout the Vietnamese territory for five years,” Tuyen said in a statement.
VNREDSat-1A will be Vietnam’s third overall satellite, following Vinasat-1 and Vinasat-2 in 2008 and 2012, respectively. The VNREDSat-1A project began in 2010 and was contracted out to French satellite manufacturer Astrium, which has been training 15 Vietnamese engineers to operate the 120 kg spacecraft.
Tuyen said the Vietnamese government has invested more than $70 million in the VNREDSat-1A satellite project, backed by loans from the French government.
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