Astrium is set to deliver Vietnam’s first Earth observation satellite

Astrium, the European leader in space technologies, is the prime contractor for the VNREDSat-1, the first Vietnamese Earth observation satellite, scheduled for launch on a Vega rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou on 03 May.

The Vietnamese satellite VNREDSat-1, built by Astrium, is scheduled for launch from Kourou on 03 May. Astrium also built the satellite ground control segment and the image receiving and processing stations in Vietnam.(photos : hanoimoi) (Photo: http://www.astrium.eads.net/en/programme/vnredsat-1.html)

Astrium received the order for the VNREDSat-1 programme from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) in July 2010, under an agreement signed in 2009 between the French and Vietnamese Governments. Under this contract, Astrium is responsible for the development, construction and launch of the VNREDSat-1 optical satellite, capable of taking images of the Earth with a resolution of 2.5 metres. In Vietnam, Astrium was also prime contractor for the design and construction of the satellite ground control segment and the satellite image receiving and processing stations. The company was also responsible for training the 15 Vietnamese engineers who will operate the satellite.

“VNREDSat-1 is another of Astrium Satellites’ export successes,” said Eric Béranger, CEO of Astrium Satellites. “This new satellite is further proof that our teams are among the best in the world; aside from their technological expertise and exemplary cost management, they also provide excellent customer support spanning from system design to in-situ operator training. We intend to continue in this vein, further boosting our competitiveness and consolidating our position as the world’s leading exporter of Earth observation satellites.”

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