Telesat to Consult on Vietnam's National Satellite Program
OTTAWA, Canada, March 30, 2007 - Satnews Daily - Telesat, a leading Canadian satellite operator, has signed a contract to provide engineering consulting services to the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT).
Under the terms of the agreement, Telesat will provide technical oversight of the design, integration, test, launch and acceptance of VinaSat-1, as well as technical training. This first satellite to be bought by Vietnam is being manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems. VinaSat-1, a C-/Ku-band hybrid satellite, is expected to have a minimum service life of 15 years.
Speaking during the contract signing in Ottawa, Vu Tuan Hung, CEO and president of VNPT, said that with the combination of Telesat's depth of technical expertise and Lockheed Martin's state of the art technology, they have a great and dedicated team to turn Vietnam's first satellite project into a success.
VNPT is tasked with the exploration, consultation, design, installation and maintenance of telecommunications and information technology. VNPT has organized multiple major business ventures in the posts, information technology and telecommunications sectors.
Telesat was first contracted to work on Vietnam's national satellite program in 1999. Since that time the company has supported feasibility studies, frequency coordination, technical training and spacecraft selection and, with the signing of the most recent agreement, spacecraft construction monitoring. VinaSat-1will improve telecommunications throughout Vietnam, particularly to the nation's rural communities and hamlets, when it is launched in 2008.
Headquartered in Ottawa, Telesat Canada is one of the world's pioneers in satellite communications and systems management. Created in 1969, the company made history three years later with the launch of Anik A1, the world's first domestic communications satellite in geostationary orbit operated by a commercial company. Telesat operates a fleet of satellites that provide broadcast distribution and telecommunications services.
