Vietnamese scientists successfully restore expired satellite

VNREDSat-1, Việt Nam’s first remote sensing satellite. — Photo Space Technology Institute

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s first remote sensing satellite is back in operation.

Scientists at the Space Technology Institute under the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology and other Vietnamese experts have successfully restored the system control servers and enabled VNREDSat-1, to take pictures again from April 4.

VNREDSat-1 is a proactive monitoring tool serving the management of natural resources and the environment, scientific research, and training as well as supporting the implementation of socio-economic sustainable development and national sovereignty safeguarding tasks.

Satellites of the same type have an average lifespan of five years, but VNREDSat-1 was used for nearly 9 years (from May 7, 2013 to November 9, 2021). During that time, it fulfilled its role as the first earth observation satellite system of Việt Nam by successfully providing a valuable source of images.

On November 9, 2021, the VNREDSat-1 system encountered a serious technical error related to the hardware that stores operational and control data.

The successful restoration of the system has marked a huge development step, bringing valuable experience to the engineers operating it and helping save a large amount of money and significantly shorten the time the satellite is not in orbit.

Since its re-operation on April 4, the satellite has taken 280 photos, more than 80 high-quality.

Experts and customers all assess that the photos taken by VNREDSat-1 still ensure quality and efficiency to serve applications on socio-economic development and ensuring defence security. — VnExpress News