The satellite project, which is expected to bring about major weather forecast capabilities, is among many flagship cooperative initiatives which symbolize the relationship between the two countries, he told a meeting with representatives of Japanese corporations Saturday.

An artist's impression of the LOTUSat-1.

He was referring to LOTUSat-1, a satellite part of a project initiated in 2012 with Japan’s Official Development Assistance, seeking to prevent disaster and climate change.

Weighing 600 kilograms, LOTUSat-1 is the latest radar technology satellite, boasting advantages such as detecting objects as small as 1 meter on the ground and the ability to observe both day and night.

LOTUSat-1 will capture images and provide accurate data to support disaster response, mitigate the impacts of natural disasters and climate change, manage natural resources, and monitor the environment.

Unlike optical satellites, radar satellites can capture images in all weather conditions, particularly in cloudy, foggy, or low-light environments. The data provided by this radar satellite will significantly benefit Vietnam, a country with a climate characterized by frequent cloud cover.

In 2023, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency signed an agreement to conduct a feasibility study for scientific cooperation in the field of space technology.

Under this collaboration, both sides will share experiences in operating and utilizing the LOTUSat-1 satellite in orbit, managing the Vietnam Space Center, and exploring options for sharing satellite imagery data.

Vietnam and Japan began cooperating in the field of space technology in 2006, and the partnership has contributed to the production of three made-in-Vietnam microsatellites – PicoDragon, NanoDragon, and MicroDragon – which had been successfully launched into orbit.

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