Vietnam will launch its first radar satellite into orbit by the end of 2024.

LOTUSat-1 is an Earth observation satellite capable of capturing high-resolution images in all weather conditions day and night using synthetic aperture radar sensor technology. The satellite weighs approximately 570 kg.

This is Vietnam's first radar satellite manufactured by Japan with the participation of engineers from the Vietnam Space Center (under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology), launched in 2021.

Image data collected from the LOTUSat-1 satellite will meet the urgent need for image sources, providing accurate and timely information to respond to and minimize the impacts of natural disasters and climate change, manage natural resources and monitor the environment, serving socio-economic development.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Tuan Anh - Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology said: "The upcoming launch of the LOTUSat-1 satellite is a close cooperation with Japan's JAXA. In parallel with our cooperation with them, we also have our own capabilities. Over the past time, the Vietnam Space Center has gradually mastered satellite manufacturing technology, and has manufactured PicoDragon, MicroDragon and NanoDragon - these are small satellites.

In the coming time, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has submitted to the Government for approval and assigned the Academy to develop a roadmap to manufacture small satellite clusters to observe the Earth, to gradually become self-sufficient in space technology.

The LOTUSat-1 satellite is expected to operate in a Sun Synchronous Orbit at an altitude of approximately 500km, and can detect objects from 1m in size on the ground. The satellite is expected to be launched into orbit between December 2024 and March 2025. The satellite's operating time in orbit is approximately more than 5 years.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of the Vietnam Space Center emphasized: "The earliest expected launch is the end of December this year. According to the current launch schedule, it is between the end of December and early March next year 2025. And when launched, the control of this satellite will be autonomously controlled by the Vietnam Space Center, images will be collected and processed in Vietnam to serve the process of socio-economic development and ensure national security and defense."

In preparation for satellite exploitation after launch into orbit, it is expected that in September 2024, the entire ground system serving satellite operations will be completed at the Vietnam Space Center in Hoa Lac (Hanoi) to be ready to receive the first signal from the satellite.

The Vietnam Space Center also said that after LOTUSat-1, Vietnam will develop and manufacture the LOTUSat-2 satellite. The design and manufacturing will take place in Vietnam, by a team of Vietnamese engineers, marking a turning point in the ability to master space technology. After LOTUSat-2, Vietnam can rise to the top of the ASEAN region in satellite technology.