Around 2010, Vietnam will build the first small satellite

This will be the " first " product of the Institute of Space Technology - a new member of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, has just officially launched today. Small satellites will help manage environmental resources, monitor disasters.

Professor Dang Vu Minh, Chairman of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and Chairman of the Institute of Space Technology, said that in the coming time, the Institute will focus mainly on two areas: Building space technology to be able to manufacture satellite, proceeding to master the technology of manufacturing small satellites (expected to build the first one in 2010); Remote sensing application, providing satellite images for weather forecasting, resource monitoring, environmental changes monitoring, disaster prevention .

"For example, the oil pollution is happening in the central region, if we have very good, high-resolution imaging equipment, we will determine where the oil comes from," said Prof. Dang Vu Minh.

"With remote sensing images, we can see from high to small, see each roof. For example, if we want to determine the changes in the area of ​​West Lake (due to encroachment, filling . ), but we have photos taken at two times, 1984, and 2007, when we compare them to each other we will know immediately, " he added.

The park was unified, photographed by Quickbird satellite in July 2004.(Photo: Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, VNE)

With the above fields, small satellites have the objective of operating differently from Vinasat telecommunication satellites (managed by the Ministry of Post and Telematics), mainly serving communication.

Also according to Prof. Dang Vu Minh, although we are going to make small satellites ourselves, Vietnam still needs to buy remote sensing images from foreign countries, set up a database for the whole country. The creation of its own small satellite will help us know its flight schedule, take initiative in capturing more images.

At today's launch, Professor Nguyen Van Hieu said that the Space Technology Institute is a 29-year "pregnancy" of enthusiastic scientists, including the late General Secretary Le Duan, and is currently being viewed. is Vietnam's leading research agency on space technology.

Other areas of the Institute are consulting on policies for developing application of space technology, legal advice in the use of aerospace, training of university staff .

Thuan An