Pham Anh Tuan, director of the Vietnam National Satellite Center, said Vietnam’s first space center, expected to be built by 2020, will help the country produce its own satellites and launch them from inside Vietnam.
He also hopes the US$700 million center can cooperate with Japanese side to form a chain to supply technological solutions to neighboring countries in the future.
* Vietnam has had two satellites launched, all from outside nation
* Vietnam hopes to produce its own satellites and launch them from inside the country
* The space center - to be finished in 2020 - will cost US$700 million, mainly from Japan ODA
Following is an interview by the government news portal chinhphu.vn and Dr. Tuan in Vietnamese. Tuoi Tre News would like to introduce it in English.
Reporter: The space center is a huge hi-tech project that was prepared in a very short time. Can you tell us more about the preparation?
Prof. Dr. Tuan:
In 2008, when the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology proposed the project, the government supported it. Shortly after, during trips to Japan, Prime Minister and deputy Prime Ministers many times proposed the project to the Japanese government. I would like to emphasize that this is a very special project in that it is a hi-tech one using ODA (Official Development Assistance) funds.
In September 2009 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during his trip to Japan officially informed the Japanese Prime Minister of Vietnam’s plan. In May, 2010, deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan visited a space center in Japan to learn about its model and operation.
In October 2010, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung continued to propose to Japan to assist Vietnam in the project, followed by many visits by both sides over this issue.
At home, the Ministry of Planning and Investment assessed the project’s feasibility and listed it as among projects to be prioritized for ODA investment.
This space center plan can be said to be a breakthrough in ODA projects for both Japan and Vietnam.
The space center model (Photo: Vietnam National Satellite Center)
What will Vietnam’s first Space Center. once completed in 2020, do?
According to Vietnam’s space strategy till 2020, by that time, we will be able to produce by ourselves small earth-observing satellites. This is also the first mission for the future Space Center. When we have satellites, we will use images from them to apply in everyday life.
The second mission is to build and handle satellite data to monitor and issue warnings of natural calamities, forecast agricultural, seafood production, update electronic maps for land management and zoning, do research on climate change, among others.
Currently, if we want to have a satellite image, we must place orders in advance. We only obtain the image after over 2 days. But if we have this center, everything will be done in six hours.
Besides, we would reduce damages to human lives and properties by a great deal with those warnings from the Space Center.
The third mission is to train experts. In the near future, we will send over 70 state employees to Japan to study satellite technology and application.
Do we have other bigger ambitions?
Our ambition is to master the technology of designing, producing, and operating satellites, all in Vietnam by Vietnamese experts.
In the future, our center can cooperate with the Japanese side to form a chain to supply technological solutions to neighboring countries.
Compared to neighboring countries, how would our future space center stand up?
The ambition of mastering space belongs to all countries on earth. But by 2020, we will own a leading space center in Southeast Asia [expected to be the most modern in that region].
Many countries in the region have invested in this area but our investment is methodical and synchronized. For example, Thailand is strong in application while Malaysia concentrates on developing small satellites.
What are the project’s important timelines?
The Japanese side has promised to stick by the roadmap and is committed to finishing basic construction works by 2016 as a platform to launch the first satellite in early 2017.
This satellite will be designed and produced in Japan.
After that, a second satellite will be made. This time, it will be designed and assembled in Vietnam, right in this space center. By the end of 2020, this made-in-Vietnam satellite will be finished to be launched into orbit.
By now, I believe money is not the issue. With strong commitments from both governments, I strongly believe the project will be carried out as planned.
This year, we have sent 24 employees to attend short courses on project management. In the next 3 years, there will be 36 engineers to receive graduate training in satellite technology at 5 Japanese universities and another 32 engineers to receive training in satellite technology application.
I assert we are completely confident in operating the future space center.
On September 19, 2012 a ceremony took place at the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Zone in Hanoi to break the ground for Vietnam’s first Space Center.
Once completed in 2020, it is expected to be the most modern center of its kind in Southeast Asia.
It will be built on a 9 hectare site in the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Zone at a total cost of nearly US$700 million.
Of the investment, over $587 million has been funded by the Japanese Government’s ODA source and the rest came from the Vietnamese Government.
Once fully operational, the centre will be able to design, produce, install, test and control smaller satellites and ensure they are operational in all weather conditions.
It will help early warn of natural and environmental disasters, forecast the agricultural output and marine resources and update electronic maps for land management, as well as serve research on global climate change.
Vietnam has so far had two satellites launched into orbit, all from outside the country.
On 16 May this year, Vietnam's second satellite, the $300 million VINASAT-2, was successfully launched into orbit from the Guiana Space Centre at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The satellite was launched together with the Japanese JCSAT-13 satellite.
Vietnam had its first communications satellite - Vinasat-1 - launched in April 2008 by an Ariane 5.
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