VietNamNet Bridge - LOTUSat-1 and LOTUSat-2 are important component projects of the national satellite center, Vietnam’s biggest ever science & technology project with total investment capital of $600 million.

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Pham Anh Tuan, director of the National Satellite Center, said LOTUSat-1 is expected to be launched in March 2019. The satellite will be manufactured by Japan with the contribution of Vietnamese engineers. 

Around 36 Vietnamese engineers have been sent to Japan to training courses on universe technology.

The group of Vietnamese engineers will work while studying in Japan and will contribute to the manufacturing of a small 50 x 50 x 50cm satellite, a Micro Dragon with the weight of 50 kilograms and life expectancy of two years.

After Micro Dragon is launched, slated for September 2017, Vietnamese scientists will set to work on designing, manufacturing, assembling and testing Nano Dragon. 

LOTUSat-1 and LOTUSat-2 are important component projects of the national satellite center, Vietnam’s biggest ever science & technology project with total investment capital of $600 million.
The 45 kilogram satellite will be designed and manufactured by Vietnamese scientists.

After undergoing experiments in Vietnam, Nano Dragon will be launched by Japanese missiles into orbit where it will watch over fishing boats and vessels.

Tuan said that from now to the time LOTUSat-2 is manufactured, about 100 Vietnamese officers will be sent abroad for short-term and long-term training courses.

LOTUSat-2 will be manufactured in Vietnam and by Vietnamese engineers with the supervision of foreign specialists.

It is estimated that Vietnam suffers the loss of 1.5-2 percent of GDP, or $3 billion, due to natural calamities. LOTUSat-1 and LOTUSat-2, once put into operation, will play a very important role in giving early warnings to help minimize the damages to be caused by natural calamities.

Nguyen Duc Cuong, Chairman of the Aviation-Space Association of Vietnam, said that Vietnam had previously signed a cooperation agreement with Japan worth $600 million (54 billion), under which the Japanese-funded ODA will be used to build a universe center in Hoa Lac High-tech Park. 

The Japanese side also promised to cooperate with Vietnam to manufacture the two satellites LOTUSat-1 and LOTUSat-2.

The two satellites will be able to take picture of the objects with the size of one meter and bigger.

Vietnam is now using VNREDSat-1, an optical satellite, but this type of satellite only allows observations in daylight and in good weather conditions with no haze. 

Vietnam needs radar satellites to observe natural resources and the environment, help prevent natural calamities and serve maritime surveillance on the East Sea. 

According to Cuong, the radar satellite would weigh 550 kilograms, lighter than other radar satellites. 


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