The Launch Readiness Review (RAL) took place in Kourou on Saturday May 12, 2012 and authorised count-down operations for the JCSAT-13 & VINASAT-2 launch. Arianespace will orbit a direct broadcast and a communications satellite on its second Ariane 5 launch of the year: JCSAT-13 for the Japanese operator SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, and VINASAT-2 for Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), within the scope of a turnkey contract with American manufacturer Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS). Both satellites were built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems. It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex N° 3 (ELA3), in Kourou, French Guiana.
The ARIANE 5 ECA Launcher Lift-Off for this flight is scheduled on May 15 to 16, 2012 as soon as possible within the following launch window:
> Kourou: Between 07:13 pm and 09:13 pm on May 15, 2012 > UT: Between 10:13 pm and 00:13 am on May 15-16, 2012 > Paris: Between 00:13 am and 02:13 am on May 16, 2012 > Washington: Between 06:13 pm and 08:13 pm on May 15, 2012
Vietnam will send its second satellite into orbit on May 16, the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), on Thursday. VNPT said that after the first one, VINASAT-1, was launched in 2008, VINASAT-2 is to promote Vietnam's telecommunication market to meet the requirements of clients, maintain orbital positions and build upon existing VINASAT-1 infrastructure, which is running out of capacity. Read more
The second Ariane 5 for launch in 2012 has completed its initial assembly at the spaceport in French Guiana. Arianespace Flight VA206 will carry out a dual-payload mission to orbit a pair of satellites for Asia-Pacific: Japan's JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2 for Vietnam. Read more
The VINASAT-1 satellite was successfully launched in 2008 and has become instrumental for the telecommunications industry. There are now developments for the VINASAT-2 satellite, and Viet Nam News sat down with Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunication's External Relations Centre director Bui Quoc Viet to learn more. Read more
US defence giant Lockheed Martin on Tuesday signed a 215 million dollar contract to build Vietnam's second satellite, officials said. The deal with state-owned Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) includes the satellite, control facilities and launching service, Hoang Minh Thong, a government satellite expert, said at a press conference. In April 2008, Vietnam launched a rocket from South America to propel its first orbiter into space. So far, more than 80 percent of the capacity of Vinasat-1 has been used, officials said. Read more
Vietnam's VNPT Plans To Launch New Orbital Satellite By 2012 State-run Vietnam Posts and Telecoms Group, or VNPT, said Monday it is considering purchasing, hiring or launching a new satellite by 2012.