14 DAY TRIAL // On Friday, 18 April, Vinasat-1 was launched from the Guiana Space Center, in Kourou, at 6:17 p.m. EDT, with the help of an Ariane-5 ECA space rocket owned by Arianespace. The Vinasat-1 satellite was joined by the Brazil Star One C2 satellite, and both were placed into geostationary transfer orbits. According to the international radio regulation of the International Telecommunication Union, Vinasat-1 will be placed in a longitudinal position of 132 degrees east.
The satellite, built by the Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems and operated by the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, will provide television, radio and telephone services for Vietnam. The Brazilian Star One C2 satellite, on the other hand, was built by the Thales Alenia Space and will have the role of securing telecommunication, Internet and multimedia services in the South American continent.
Apart from providing with communication services, Vinasat-1 will also inform the Vietnamese people on land and sea weather conditions. Because it doesn't have its own communications satellite, Vietnam will continue to rent communication services from neighboring countries until Vinasat-1 becomes operational, which costs the country about 10 million US dollars every year.
Vinasat-1 will operate for a period of 15 to 20 years and is equipped with 12 Ku-band transponders and eight C-band transponders, giving it the capability of relaying some ten thousand voice, Internet and data channels, equivalent to one hundred twenty television channels.
The original launch of Vinasat-1 was scheduled for 2005; however, it was delayed due to difficulties in completing the frequency coordination procedures under the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union, as well as finding an acceptable position in the geostationary orbit around Earth. The approval for the orbit insertion was given on 12 May 2006.
Vinasat-1 is expected to become operational in the second quarter of the current year.