Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged Japan to accelerate the implementation of key cooperative projects with Vietnam, including the launching of Vietnam’s first home-built radar satellite into orbit in 2025.
LOTUSat-1, Vietnam’s first radar satellite, is expected to be launched into orbit in early 2025. After the testing phase, the Japanese government will transfer management rights to Vietnam for operation over a period of five years.
During a dialogue with major Japanese corporations and businesses on March 1st, Prime Minister Chinh encouraged the Japanese government and companies to continue their focus on rapidly advancing significant cooperation projects, particularly in high-tech fields that symbolize the bilateral relationship. “Notably, the launch of satellite scheduled for 2025,” the Prime Minister stated.
LOTUSat-1 belongs to “Project For Disaster And Climate Change Countermeasure Using Earth Observation Satellite”. The project was launched at the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park in Hanoi in September 2012, utilizing Japanese ODA funding and Vietnam’s counterpart capital.
LOTUSat-1 weighs 600 kg and is the latest radar technology satellite with numerous advantages, such as detecting objects 1 meter on the ground and the ability to observe both day and night. The satellite will capture images and provide accurate information to help mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, climate change, resources management and monitor the environment.
Unlike optical satellites, radar satellites can take images under any weather conditions, especially in cloudy, foggy, or low-light situations. The data provided by this radar satellite will be crucial for Vietnam, particularly in areas with a lot of cloud cover.
To effectively utilize LOTUSat-1, in November 2023, Prof. Châu Văn Minh, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), and Professor Yamakawa Hiroshi, President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), signed anArrangement concerning joint fesibility study between VAST and JAXA for scientific cooperation in space technology phase 2023-2028.
Under this cooperation, both parties will share experiences in operating and exploiting the LOTUSat-1 satellite in orbit, managing the Vietnam National Space Center, and exploring options for sharing satellite image data.
Vietnam and Japan began their cooperation in the field of space technology in 2006. With the support of JAXA, VAST engineers have researched and developed three “Made in Vietnam” satellitesincluding PicoDragon, Nano Dragon, and MicroDragon, which have been successfully launched into orbit with JAXA’s assistance.
Prof. Châu Văn Minh, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST)
