On October 18, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam National Space Center – VNSC (under Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology – VAST) and Sumitomo Corporation (Japan) have signed the contract of the package “LOTUSat-1 satellite, equipment and capacity development” developed by NEC Corporation.
Mr. Umeda Kunio – Ambassador of Japan in Vietnam; Mr. Chu Ngoc Anh – Minister of Vietnam Ministry of Science and Technology; Prof. Acad. Chau Van Minh – President of VAST, and leaders of ministries, departments and agencies, and representatives of Japanese partners such as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) … attended the Ceremony.
Delegates attended the Signing Ceremony at Vietnam National Space Center
At the ceremony, Prof. Acad. Chau Van Minh expressed his sincere thanks to the guidance of the Government and the effective coordination of the ministries and the Vietnam Space Committee to this Project in particular and the space technology research and development of VAST in general. He also expressed his gratitude to the cooperation and efforts of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, METI, JICA and contractors in overcoming difficulties to achieve initial results in the implementation of this Project.
From the Japanese side, Mr. Umeda Kunio –Ambassador of Japan in Vietnam, also expressed his joy at witnessing this significant event. In his speech, Mr. Umeda Kunio affirmed: “As a symbol of Vietanm – Japan cooperation and certainly contributing to the future of Vietnam, this satellite package is a project that I am always looking forward to implementing. The LOTUSat-1 satellite is the first radar satellite owned by Vietnam, which will contribute to respond to natural disasters and climate change throughout the territory of Vietnam including the sea. I believe that this satellite will not only contribute to the sustainable development of Vietnam, but also make an important contribution to the stability and prosperity of the whole East Asia region”.
The Vietnam Space Center Project has started since 2011 as the national key project in science and technology with the largest investment ever, mainly funded by Japanese ODA loans under special terms (STEP) for economic partners from JICA. The project is implemented with two main purposes: The first is to upgrade and develop the climate change and natural disasters warning and mitigation system, natural resources management and environmental monitoring, serving the socio-economic development. The second one is to improve infrastructure of the Vietnam National Space Center, step by step develop and master the technology, self-producing small earth observation satellites according to the goals in the national strategy for research and application of space technology of Vietnam. The main investment of the project is the LOTUSat-1 satellite package and its related technical infrastructure. The LOTUSat-1 Earth observation satellite is the same model that NEC uses for its advanced space system ASNARO-2. The human resource development for utilization of satellite data will be conducted by the Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC). Data collected by LOTUSat-1 will be utilized for implementing countermeasures against natural disasters and climate changes, thereby making important contributions to the development of Vietnam. The satellite is expected to be launched in 2023.
Leaders of VNSC/VAST and Sumitomo Corporation were signing the contract
The representative of Japan, Mr. Osuke Asai from METI, also shared: “I think this project will be a great start to contribute to the establishment of satellite manufacturing and capacity development, as well as open the way to being able to make Vietnam’s owned satellites. In the coming time, through this project, METI will continue to contribute to the rapid development of Vietnam’s space industry”
At the ceremony, Dr. Pham Anh Tuan – Director General of VNSC updated the “Made in Vietnam” satellites development roadmap of VNSC.
| Vietnam’s geography is characterized by a wide range of distinctive features, including an extensive coastline, high mountains and deep forests. Under the effect of the ongoing climate change, these conditions contribute to the vulnerability of the national land to natural disasters, particularly flooding from heavy rains and typhoons. As a result, it is necessary for Vietnam to take countermeasures in order to minimize damages from natural disasters. Given this situation, the Vietnamese government places a great deal of importance on the development of science and technology programs that address climate change. The LOTUSat-1 Earth observation satellite will support these initiatives with constant monitoring and forecasting of climate change and its impact. |
