Vietnam is scheduled to launch its first communication satellite in 2008 from France, local newspaper Investment reported Wednesday.

"Vietnam's first communication satellite named Vinasat is expected to be launched to the orbit by missile Ariane 5 in the second quarter of 2008 from the Kourou launching ground in France," director of the Vinasat project's management board Hoang Minh Thong was quoted as reporting.

The Vietnamese government recently instructed involved parties to meet the deadline of May 2008 for launching the medium-sized satellite, which is being produced by the U.S. Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems. The satellite is expected to be launched to 132 degrees east orbital slot in April 2008.

Vietnam is preparing for the 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 and some other Southeast Asian areas, including Japan, the Korean peninsula, a part of China, eastern Oceanean 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