A 50kg satellite, measuring 50x50x50cm, will be launched into space by Vietnam in 2018.

Design of the MicroDragon satellite. The 50kg satellite will be launched in 2018 with assistance from Japan. — Photo vnsg.org.vn

The MicroDragon satellite will be designed and created by Vietnamese engineers, with the support of Japanese experts.

Japan's Epsilon rocket, created by IHI Aerospace company, will carry the MicroDragon satellite into space.

The satellite will observe the coastal areas of the country to evaluate water quality, navigate marine food resources and follow up on changes in coastal areas to inform Viet Nam's aquaculture breeding sector.

Director of Viet Nam National Satellite Centre (VNSC) Pham Anh Tuan said the MicroDragon project is expected to help create an environment in which young people have the chance to practice working with strict discipline and independent creativity.

Viet Nam launched the 1kg PicoDragon satellite to give Vietnamese experts the chance to explore the process of designing, creating and piloting a satellite in August 2013.

Under the Made-in-Vietnam satellite development roadmap, the country will launch the 10kg NanoDragon satellite in 2016, the 50kg MicroDragon satellite in 2018 and the 500kg LOTUSat-2 in 2020. 

VNS