Vietnam has taken a major step into the space age with the launch of its first satellite to provide telecommunications, broadcasting and Internet links across the country throughout the country.

Vinasat-1 was carried into space aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from the European spaceport in French Guiana at 7:17pm local time (10:17pm GMT) Friday evening. Ariane also lofted the Star One C2, a telecommunications satellite for Brazil, on the same flight.

VINASAT-1 will sit 36,000km above the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border. Its “footprint” will span parts of Japan, Australia and Burma.

According to Doan Hop Le, Vietnam’s minister of Information and Communication, by carrying transmission capacity equivalent to 10,000 voice, Internet and data channels, or 120 TV channels, Vinasat-1 will help Vietnam bring telecommunications, Internet and television services to all isolated, mountainous and island areas.

Other nations in the region already have their own satellites: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Sources: PC World, BBC, Reuters

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 Print Posted by Budi Putra on April 21st, 2008