Vietnam satellite will enter space in 2018

Size 50x50x50cm, weighs about 50kg, satellites are designed and manufactured by Vietnamese engineers under the guidance of Japanese professors.

The Epsilon (Japan) missile built by IHI Aerospace will bring Vietnam's 50kg MicroDragon earth observation satellite into space.

"MicroDragon is expected to be built in September 2016 and integrated until September 2017 to be ready to launch into orbit," said a representative of the National Satellite Center.

MicroDragon satellite model.(Photo: VNSC).

The creation and introduction of MicroDragon satellite into the universe is one of the next steps of the Made in Vietnam satellite development roadmap. Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the National Satellite Center (VNSC) hopes that through the MicroDragon project, it will open the environment to help young officers have conditions to train independent creative skills as well as working ability. discipline between groups.

MicroDragon satellite has the task of observing coastal waters to assess water quality, locate aquatic resources, monitor changes in occurrences in coastal waters to serve the Vietnamese aquaculture industry. Male. It also collects sensor signals on the ground, then transfers data quickly to distant locations on the earth.

Vietnam satellite development roadmap.(Photo: VNSC).

In August 2013, PicoDragon micro-satellite flew into space on HTV4 transport ship from Yoshinobu launch pad at Japan's Tanegashima Space Center. Satellites are built with the aim of training research staff, gradually approaching the process of designing, manufacturing, integrating, and testing satellites.

According to the satellite development roadmap "made in Vietnam" , after successfully launching the ultra-small satellite PicoDragon (one kilogram), Vietnam will launch the NanoDragon (10kg) satellite in 2016. Two years later, MicroDragon (50kg) will enter the universe and then LOTUSat-2 (500kg) in 2020. If the roadmap is completed, by 2020, Vietnam will belong to the top group of countries in this area, equivalent to Indonesia, Malaysia.