VNREDSat / Earth Observations

In November 2007, the Vietnamese ground receiving station was completed and put into operation. It will provide satellite images from the Satellite pour l'observation de la Terre (SPOT) and the Environmental Satellite (Envisat) for natural resource and environmental management. This is a cooperative project between the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of Viet Nam.

Viet Nam plans to cooperate with EADS on a small Earth observation satellite weighing about 150 kilograms, VNRED-Sat, for an environmental research and disaster management project. The project would begin once financing is available.

In late 2008 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung announced that France would be the provider of technology and official development assistance (ODA) for the natural resources, environment and disaster monitoring of small satellite (VNREADSat-1), Vietnam's second satellite after Vinasat-1 The Institute for Science and Technology of Vietnam will develop this project. The second satellite aims to serve the strategy on research and application of space technology to 2020. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is responsible for formalities related to French ODA for this project. The project would cost an estimated US$100 million and help free Vietnam from reliance on satellite images provided by other countries.

VNREDSat-1 is a small-sized earth observation satellite, a proposed 150 kilograms in weight with a five-year life expectancy. The satellite is scheduled to be operational in 2012 and will be used to help Vietnam map its natural resources and provide information about the environment and disasters. The VNREDSat-1 project was initiated in 2003 when Vietnam cooperated with a UK-owned space organization to study the country's capacity to launch a small earth observation satellite.

National Space Science and Technology Research Program Chairman Nguyen Khoa Son said the project would cost an estimated US$100 million and help free Vietnam from reliance on satellite images provided by other countries.