Vietnam makes strides in nanosatellite development
The launch of NanoDragon satellite is a chance for Vietnam to enrich experience, develop personnel, set up a network of suppliers and complete procedures for the development of other “Made-in-Vietnam” satellites in the future, said General Director of the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) Pham Anh Tuan.
Scientists from the Vietnam National Space Centre manufacturing NanoDragon satellite. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The launch of NanoDragon satellite isa chance for Vietnam to enrich experience, develop personnel, set up a networkof suppliers and complete procedures for the development of other “Made-in-Vietnam”satellites in the future, said General Director of the Vietnam National SpaceCenter (VNSC) Pham Anh Tuan.
In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on thesuccessful launch of the fifth Epsilon solid-fuel rocket carrying Vietnam’s NanoDragon into outer space at 7:55am (Hanoi time) on November 9,Tuan said that those involving in the manufacturing of NanoDragon haveacquired a lot of experience after taking part in two previous projects of PicoDragonand MicroDragon. The research team had received assistance from many domestic agenciesand organisations, he noted.
Tuan pointed out a number of difficulties facing Vietnam in thisarea, including poor infrastructure system and the incomplete system ofresearch and development centres, land stations and satellite testingequipment, along with modest resources for satellite research andmanufacturing.
Vietnam’s NanoDragon was successfully launched into outer space at 7:55am (Hanoi time) on November 9. (Photo: VNA)
Vietnam embarked on research on a number of aerospace scienceand technology areas in the 1980s, but those in mastering aerospacetechnologies, especially satellite technologies, have been conducted since 2006, he noted.
The sector is implementing a national key project to build aVietnam Space Centre with major components such as building technical infrastructuresystem, training high-quality human resources and receiving the transfer of satellitetechnologies to create a firm foundation for realising the target of master technologies of designing and manufacturing nanosatellites, whichincluded in the strategy on developing and applying aerospace sciences andtechnologies until 2030 that has been recently approved by the Prime Minister.
To date, Vietnam has owned six satellites that are operating inthe orbit, including two telecommunications, one earth observation and threeresearch satellites. Of those, three were developed by Vietnamese scientists.
NanoDragonsatellite successfully separated from Japan’s fifth Epsilon solid-fuelrocket at 9:07 am (Hanoi time), flying in outer space by itself at a height of560km./.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on November 6 announced the delay of the launch of its fifth Epsilon solid-fuel rocket that is expected to carry nine small satellites, including Vietnam’s NanoDragon.
The fifth Epsilon solid-fuel rocket which carries Vietnam’s NanoDragon and eight other small satellites of Japan, was successfully launched into outer space at 9:55am (Japan time) on November 9.
The launch of made-in-Vietnam satellite NanoDragon has gone into history and marked a new development milestone of Vietnam’s space industry, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam said following the successful launch on November 9 morning at the Uchinoura Space Centre in Kagoshima prefecture.
Vietnam’s NanoDragon satellite successfully separated from Japan’s fifth Epsilon solid-fuel rocket at 11:07 am (Japan time), flying in outer space by itself.
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Scientists from the Vietnam National Space Centre manufacturing NanoDragon satellite. (Photo: VNA) 
Vietnam’s NanoDragon was successfully launched into outer space at 7:55am (Hanoi time) on November 9. (Photo: VNA) 
