The Hanoi Times - Viet Nam plans to launch its first remote sensing satellite by 2012, chairman of the national Research Program o­n Space Science and Technology Nguyen Khoa Son announced yesterday at this year's Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-15).

"When the VNREDSAT-1 satellite is operational by 2012, Viet Nam will be able to take photographs of the Earth from outer space, which will help improve the efficiency of our natural resources management, environmental protection and disaster prevention," Son said.

This was an important advance that Viet Nam was making in developing space technology and science, which had already begun with the country's successful launch of its first telecommunication satellite VINASAT-1 in April this year, he stressed.

"Currently, to observe our country for the purpose of forecasting weather, protecting the environment and studying natural resources, we still have to buy images taken by satellites of foreign countries. It is very costly and in some urgent cases, we will be o­n the defensive and become dependent."

"If we have our own satellite, we can respond more promptly to natural disasters and be more active in defence and security activities," Son said.

Investments for the satellite-launching project, worth about US$100 million, includes funds to manufacture, launch, and control the satellite; build a control station; transfer technology and train experts. These funds would mostly come from Official Development Assistance (ODA), he added.

"Many countries have expressed their willingness to co-operate with Viet Nam o­n the project. We are actively discussing and seeking more partners who can provide both capital and technical assistance so that the prefeasibility research can be conducted in the near future," Son said.

The project, along with a strategy for space technology research and application by 2020, was approved in principle by the Prime Minister last year.

Speaking at the forum's opening ceremony yesterday, president of the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) Chau Van Minh said the four-day APRSAF-15, the first of its kind hosted by Viet Nam under the theme "Space for Sustainable Development," aimed to promote the application of space technology in disaster prevention, environmental protection and to raise awareness of space technology.

"In Viet Nam, achievements in space research and technological development have been applied in different areas such as telecommunications and hydro-meteorology. However, the scope and effectiveness of space application has been limited and not standing par with the socio-economic development," Minh said.

Therefore, the APRSAF-15 was an important opportunity for the country to learn about others', experiences, as well as to strengthen and expand collaboration with other nations in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world in the field of space technology application, he said.

The annual forum, jointly organised and co-sponsored by VAST, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, saw the participation of 260 delegates from 26 countries and