Vietnam’s First Satellite Ready for Launch 2 April

Vietnam’s first satellite, Vinasat-1, was put into Kourou launching pad in French Guyana on February 13 after two years of preparations.

Vinasat-1 is scheduled to be launched into orbit on April 2 at 132 degrees east -a position that Vietnam registered with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 1999. The send-off may be broadcast live on Vietnam Television.

According to the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), the latest satellite check prior to the launch has been successfully completed.

Vinasat will be able to provide more than 200 digital television channels and tens of thousands of Internet data transmission and telephone channels.

The 180 million USD satellite is expected to cover Vietnam , Laos , Eastern Asian nations, India and Australia . It has a lifespan of 15 years.

The lift-off of Vinasat-1 will help improve the country’s telecom network and help save around 15 million USD per year from hiring satellites.