(VOVworld)- Vietnam’s first remote sensing satellite, VNREDSat-1, was launched into orbit today from the Kourou launch pad, French Guiana.

The launch was transmitted live from Kourou to a ceremony to mark the special event at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology in Hanoi. Doctor Bui Trong Tuyen is Deputy Director of the Vietnam Space Technology Institute, and Head of the Small Satellite Project Management Committee of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Tuyen says: Following the success of two previous satellite launches, the launch of VNREDSat-1 is of great importance for Vietnam contributing to realizing the strategy for space research and application by 2020 approved by the government. Its importance is also revealed in its name as a surveillance satellite of natural resources, nature, environment and natural disasters. Images captured by this satellite will serve these above-mentioned purposes”.

VNREDSat-1 is capable of capturing images of any area in the world and it is expected to aid efforts to deal with floods, forest fires, oil spills and other disasters more quickly and effectively.  2 hours after lift off, the VNREDSat-1 satellite will separate from its VEGA propulsion rocket and place itself into a working orbit. The first signals from VNREDSat-1 are expected at 2:30 PM today. Vietnam will receive the first images of the Earth two days after launch.