The Vietnamese government has instructed involved parties to meet the deadline of May 2008 for launching the country's first communication satellite, local media reported Thursday.

Vietnam's steering committee on the satellite project named Vinasat said the U.S. partner, Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, is producing the medium-sized satellite, and it can be launched to 132 degrees east orbital slot in April 2008, according to Youth newspaper.

Vietnam is preparing for construction of a satellite control station in northern Ha Tay province and a standby one in southern Binh Duong province. Total investment for the Vinasat project stands at 2,885 billion Vietnamese dong (over 181.4 million U.S. dollars).

The satellite, with life span of around 15 years, will span its coverage over Vietnam, other Southeast Asian countries, Japan, the Korean peninsula, part of China, eastern Oceania and the South China Sea. It will help Vietnam's telecommunications network not depend on topography, and all of its communes have phone, TV and radio coverage.

Now, Vietnam uses satellite services provided by foreign companies from Thailand, Indonesia and Russia. The Vinasat will be Vietnam's second space project since the country's first astronaut took part in a Soviet space mission in 1985.

Source: Xinhua