For many many years, for most Vietnamese individuals, area was a story of historic missions and faraway goals. But because the third decade of the twenty first century unfolds, area is being redefined as a new improvement frontier, immediately linked to financial development, nationwide safety and protection, and the governance capability of the Vietnamese state.
From the primary 1kg satellite tv for pc nicknamed the “Vietnamese dragon”, to quietly working laboratories, to the Politburo formally assigning area know-how a particular function, a shift in mindset has taken place.
That turning level was marked by Resolution 57 of the Politburo, which for the primary time outlined area know-how as a nationwide strategic know-how, putting outer area on equal footing with maritime and underground domains.
Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, Director General of the Vietnam National Space Center – VNSC underneath the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, mentioned the inclusion of area know-how in a Party decision for the primary time carries profound significance, not solely for the scientific group but for the nation’s total improvement technique.
“Scientists in the space technology field were truly delighted when Resolution 57 was issued. The Government later promulgated Resolution 1131, listing 11 technology groups and 35 key strategic product groups to drive spearhead industries. Three products in the space technology field were selected: low-orbit remote sensing and telecommunications satellites, ground stations and satellite control systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles – UAVs,” Tuan shared.
He famous that competitors as we speak is no longer confined to the bottom but extends into outer area. Given its financial capability, Vietnam can not cowl each phase, nor compete with Internet satellite tv for pc constellations like Starlink or massive telecommunications satellites. Instead, the chosen technique focuses on Earth remark satellites and small satellites.
“That is a choice aligned with our national capacity. More importantly, it directly addresses essential needs: data serving research, governance, development and national protection,” he mentioned.
In 1980, Vietnam turned the primary Asian nation to ship a particular person into area. The flight of hero Pham Tuan was not solely a supply of delight but additionally planted a bigger dream of area exploration throughout generations.
Yet it was not till after 2006, when the area know-how technique was relaunched, that this dream started to be translated step-by-step into insurance policies and concrete packages.
Between 2006 and 2020, VNSC set the aim of progressively mastering satellite tv for pc design and manufacturing applied sciences. A improvement roadmap was established, progressing from 1kg, 4kg and 50kg satellites to the present LOTUSat-1 weighing roughly 600kg. Vietnam cooperated with France to launch the optical satellite tv for pc VNREDSat-1 in 2013, and likewise manufactured PicoDragon, which was launched the identical yr.
Alongside these milestones, Vietnam has constructed a workforce skilled overseas and established infrastructure thought-about among the many most superior in Southeast Asia.
“We now operate the control system for LOTUSat-1, maintain research and development laboratories, and by the end of this year will complete an assembly, integration and testing facility for satellites under 200kg. With this infrastructure, we are fully confident in producing small ‘Make in Vietnam’ satellites,” Tuan mentioned.
Responding to the query of why small satellites had been chosen because the breakthrough route on this section, the VNSC Director General pointed to frequency and knowledge.
A single satellite tv for pc takes about 90 minutes to orbit the Earth as soon as. But to return to the identical goal space for imaging can take as much as one and a half days. In circumstances of pure disasters similar to storms, floods or landslides, that point hole could make a crucial distinction.
To observe the Earth usually and replace data proactively, Vietnam wants a system that ensures frequent imaging and well timed knowledge, particularly amid local weather change and more and more extreme pure disasters.
“To truly master the field, we cannot keep purchasing satellites indefinitely. Our strategy is to focus on a constellation of small satellites to build an Earth observation system. With such a constellation, we will secure remote sensing data – an essential resource in the era of artificial intelligence. This data can be applied across sectors, from national security to socio-economic development, including land-use planning updates, forest monitoring and environmental management.”
He likened satellite tv for pc knowledge to crude oil. In its uncooked kind, knowledge doesn’t create worth. But as soon as processed via software software program, it turns into the muse for a wide selection of coverage selections and socio-economic actions.
In actuality, the advantages of area know-how don’t lie in distant orbit, but are tangible on the bottom.
In the previous, when floods or pure disasters occurred, Vietnam needed to request or buy satellite tv for pc imagery from overseas. The course of was typically sluggish and premature. With autonomous satellite tv for pc capability, authorities can forecast landslide or flash flood dangers earlier, decreasing injury to lives and property.
In agriculture, VNSC analysis groups have used satellite tv for pc imagery to evaluate development charges and forecast rice yields within the Mekong Delta, attaining accuracy above 95 %. For an agricultural nation, that determine carries appreciable significance.
Authorities additionally require satellite tv for pc photos to observe unlawful logging or environmental destruction in distant areas troublesome to entry by highway. At current, Vietnam nonetheless depends on overseas satellite tv for pc imagery similar to Europe’s Sentinel system, Japan’s ALOS and the US Landsat for routine functions.
For issues associated to nationwide safety and protection, satellite tv for pc autonomy is crucial. “Foreign satellites may not provide images of sensitive areas,” Pham Anh Tuan mentioned candidly. Data sovereignty is subsequently inseparable from nationwide sovereignty.
VNSC’s long-term aim is to construct a nationwide remark middle based mostly on distant sensing, integrating and processing knowledge from satellites, plane and UAVs.
At that time, leaders may stay in a single location but have constantly up to date knowledge to direct responses to forest fires, floods or landslides nationwide.
“Vietnam is fully capable of doing this, thanks to our existing human resources and the combination of foreign-purchased satellites and domestically manufactured ones,” Tuan affirmed.
He added that these working in area should dare to dream and dare to behave. Many younger individuals are passionate, but inconsistent funding and wage scales underneath the state system create difficulties as soon as they begin households. Vietnam wants particular mechanisms and daring reforms in deciding on and using expertise in strategic know-how fields.
Instead of requiring chief engineers to submit administrative functions to register for initiatives, the state ought to proactively invite and worth them. A wage coefficient equal to that within the safety and protection sector – round 1.8 – would enable scientists to dedicate themselves totally to analysis.
“I have worked on space strategy since 2006 – nearly 20 years now. I hope that with Resolution 57, change will come faster. For a true breakthrough, we need a high-level leader to direct it personally, similar to how Kennedy declared the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in the US, or how the Philippine space agency reports directly to the President,” the Director General emphasised.
By 2030, the worldwide area financial system is projected to succeed in about US$1.5 trillion. It is no longer solely about analysis but about producing income from satellite tv for pc Internet, area tourism, GPS providers and knowledge. The world’s wealthiest billionaires are investing in area, calculating future alternatives tied to useful resource exploitation on the Moon and Mars.
Dr. Nguyen Kim Anh of VNSC mentioned mastering satellites carries clear sensible implications for Vietnam.
In safeguarding sovereignty, proactiveness is vital. With its personal satellites, Vietnam can constantly monitor maritime actions. Unidentified vessels offshore, uncommon indicators close to the coast or inside the unique financial zone may be detected early because of high-frequency imaging with robust spatial and temporal decision.
Satellite imagery additionally permits historic monitoring of vessel actions. In circumstances of unlawful discharge or oil spills, authorities will need to have photos from earlier than and after the incident to establish the supply of air pollution and decide accountability. Relying solely on overseas knowledge or open Internet sources typically means incomplete data that fails to fulfill safety necessities.
In environmental administration and agriculture, satellite tv for pc imagery permits speedy evaluation of long-term land cowl modifications and evaluation of ecosystem impacts. It can also be used to categorise and supply early warning of salinity intrusion throughout massive areas. Instead of amassing remoted soil samples for laboratory evaluation, satellite tv for pc knowledge permits the calculation of indices to establish areas with excessive or low salinity, offering a scientific foundation for crop choice and applicable farming practices.
According to Dr. Nguyen Kim Anh, a very powerful issue is synchronized and sustained funding. If area know-how is applied as a short-term undertaking of 5 to 10 years after which halted, the system will fracture. Proper recognition of the function of satellites and a long-term dedication to funding are decisive for maximizing their software in each day life, the financial system, safety and protection.
Thanh Hue