‘Made-in-Vietnam’ satellite sent to Japan for launch (Photo: VNSC)

The satellite, weighing approximately 4 kilogram, was transported from Vietnam’s Noi Bai International Airport to Japan’s Narita International Airport on Wednesday evening. It was then transferred to the Uchinoura Space Center launch site, Kagoshima Prefecture, to be handed over to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), according to the VNSC.

3U Cubesat NanoDragon was developed by the Vietnam National Space Center under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) as part of the “Nano-class satellite development, launch and trial operation” project, under the National Science and Technology Program on space technology from 2016 to 2020. Its design, integration and functional tests were conducted entirely in Vietnam by VNSC researchers.

NanoDragon is expected to operate in a sun synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 560 km. This satellite is designed to integrate an automatic identification system (AIS) used for tracking and monitoring vessels at sea. It will also make use of an optical imaging device in order to verify the quality of the satellite posture controller while operating in orbit.

In March 2021, NanoDragon was sent to the Center for Nanosatellite Testing at Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) for tests. Results of the tests later showed the satellite had met all launching criteria.