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Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung applauds in front of a model of the Ariane-5 rocket, with Vietnam's VINASAT-1 and Brazil's Star One C2 satellites attached, while speaking at a ceremony in Hanoi April 19, 2008. The rocket blasted off from French Guiana on Friday, putting into orbit telecommunications satellites for Brazil and Vietnam, a space official said
After 13 years of unceasing efforts, Vietnam's first satellite was successfully launched Saturday, ushering a new era for the local information communication technology industry.

The 2.6-ton medium-sized satellite, Vinasat-1, was successfully launched to its geostationary orbit position using rocket Ariane-5in Kourou site in French Guiana at 5:16 a.m. Saturday (2016 GMT Friday).

The satellite project was first approved by the Vietnamese government in 1995, with an aim to serve increasing local demand for better communication services with lower costs.

After the approval, Vietnam had to negotiate with other countries to determine the satellite's orbital position.

And in 2005, the geostationary orbit position of longitude 132 degrees east was finally decided after Vietnam overcame difficulties in negotiations especially with Japan, which uses the same position, and Tonga, which owns longitude 130 and 134 degrees east, and reserved it with the Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

In addition, Vietnam was very careful in choosing partners for the satellite production and launch. Satellite lifespan of 15-20 years, great safety, high possibility of successful launch, and competitive prices were major factors taken into consideration.

Among a number of the world's leading satellite producers, mainly from the United States, Russia and Japan, U.S. firm Lockheed Martin was selected as the satellite project's main contractor.

In 2006, the project's investor, the state-owned Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), inked a contract with Lockheed Martin.

Total investment for the production and launch of Vinasat-1 and the construction of related facilities like two ground stations in northern Ha Tay province and southern Binh Duong province stands at nearly 300 million dollars. The VNPT will recoup the investment after nine or ten years.

Vietnam has attached importance to using the satellite for commercial and non-commercial purposes, serving domestic and foreign enterprises, organizations and residents.

So far, as many as 16 Vietnamese organizations and firms have registered to use Vinasat-1-based communication services at costs lower than those provided by foreign satellites, vice president of the VNPT Nguyen Ba Thuoc said at a recent press briefing.

At present, Vietnam had to spend some 15 million U.S. dollars annually to rent satellites of foreign countries as Russia, Australia and Thailand.

With 20 transponders, service coverage in South East Asia, part of China, India, Korea, Japan, Australia and Hawaii, and life-span of between 15 and over 20 years, Vinasat-1 has transmission capacity equivalent to 10,000 voice, Internet and data channels or120 TV channels, helping Vietnam to provide telecommunications, radio, Internet and TV services to all corners of the country regardless of topography and climate.



An image of an Ariane-5 rocket, with Vietnam's VINASAT-1 and Brazil's Star One C2 satellites attached, preparing for takeoff is projected on a screen at a ceremony in Hanoi April 19, 2008. The rocket blasted off from French Guiana on Friday, putting into orbit telecommunications satellites for Brazil and Vietnam, a space official said


The Ariane-5 rocket, with Vietnam's VINASAT-1 and Brazil's Star One C2 satellites attached, takes off at a spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana April 18, 2008. The rocket blasted off from French Guiana on Friday, putting into orbit telecommunications satellites for Brazil and Vietnam, a space official said