SES (News - Alert) ASTRA recently announced the selection of its subsidiary, SES ASTRA TechCom, for the deliverance of Network Operations Centre for the new VINASAT, a national satellite program of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
While SES ASTRA is an SES company that delivers Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite systems in Europe, SES ASTRA TechCom is a Luxembourg-based company providing satellite manufacturers, operators, broadcasters and government organizations with technical know-how and expertise of the SES group.
“We are very proud that SES ASTRA TechCom has been chosen to deliver the Network Operations Centre for the first Vietnamese satellite project,” remarked Gerhard Bethscheider, chief executive officer of SES ASTRA TechCom.
While VINASAT-1 is Vietnam’s first public satellite project, it is led by the Vietnamese Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and was manufactured by main contractor Lockheed Martin (News - Alert) Commercial Space Services (LMCSS). An end-to-end system, SES ASTRA TechCom will allow VINASAT to provide customers with an unending flow of high quality video and audio services through its uplink and downlink facilities in different frequency bands along with features that enable monitoring of satellite payloads and uplinks.
“The decision shows that the profound technical knowledge that we offer to third parties is recognized and highly trusted around the world. We are confident that our new role in Vietnam and the region will help us to further position the broad and integrated portfolio of SES companies, in particular of ND SatCom (News - Alert), a leading global supplier of satellite-based broadband VSAT and communication network solutions,” Bethscheider added.
LMCSS, along with SES ASTRA TechCom working as a subcontractor, plans to deliver two satellite antenna systems in the Hanoi and Binh Duong Province of Vietnam for Telecommand, Telemetry and Control (TT&C). While the VINASAT-1 was expected to be launched in 2008’s second quarter, this satellite has been in operation since May 2008 and is being used for telecommunication purposes.
Along with the two antenna systems, SES ASTRA TechCom will also provide training services to future Vietnamese satellite operations personnel which include satellite engineers and technicians. While such training has been scheduled to last from between six to 12 months, it will take place in both Hanoi and Luxembourg and will be co-financed by the Luxembourg Development Cooperation.
Shireen Dee is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Shireen’s articles, please visit her columnist page.