Vietnam, Russia boost space cooperation
HANOI - Vietnam-Russia telecom cooperation began in the 1980s, when the former Soviet
Union helped Vietnam build a Hoa Sen [Lotus] ground satellite station and joined Vietnamese scientists in
the study of photography from outer space.
In its on-going renewal process, Vietnam has
also received technical support from Russia for
building a modern telecom network, comprising
satellite communications, in support of
economic development.
Prof. Valery Resetnicov from the Russian
Science Academy said that his academy and
Vietnam's National Centre for Natural Sciences
and Technologies have completed a project
"Concept of Building and Developing Satellite
Communications in Vietnam."
"This is one of the core projects for building a
national research programme on satellite
telecom development (Vinasat), started in
1998," the professor said. Prof. Resetnicov is
in charge of two Vietnam-Russia cooperation
projects developing satellite
telecommunications and earth research from
outer space known respectively as Vinasat and Vinzor. The Vinasat project is under way with the
involvement of numerous Vietnamese and Russian institutes, including Russia's top telecom satllite
producer - the M. Resetnicov Science-manufacture Union - which joined the project in 2000. Vinasat will
allow Vietnam to study, produce and launch telecom satellites serving radio and television broadcasts as
well as telephone and Internet links.
Under the Vinasat project, photographic and monitoring satellites will also be studied to serve economic
development by providing weather forecasts and oil spill and river and lake surface pollution reports.
Projected satellites are expected to aid the assessment of, among other issues, forest status-quo, forest
land, urbanization, and natural resources. Vietnam is also studying the possibility of launching a
commercial satellite in its efforts to be free from subscribing to foreign satellite channels.
According to Prof Resetnicov, a telecom satellite containing 28-30 converters can be launched as a
stationary satellite orbiting about 30,000 km from the earth. A Russian-made rocket missile, "Proton",
viewed as the most effective rocket missile in the world, would launch the satellite. In addition, Russia can
join Vietnam in establishing a centre for satellite control and communication transmission in Vietnam or
building another satellite control in Russia at Vietnam's request, proposed the professor.
Vietnam News Agency - December 18, 2001.
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