"Made in Vietnam" NanoDragon satellite to be launched into orbit on October 7

“Made in Vietnam” NanoDragon satellite developed by the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, will be launch into outer space between 7:51.21-7:55.16 am (Hanoi time), on October 7, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The solid-fuel Epsilon 5 rocket, expected to carry the NanoDragon satellite and eight others into the outer space, will be launched from JAXA’s Uchinoura Space Centre, Japan. (Photo: JAXA)
The solid-fuel Epsilon 5 rocket, expected to carry the NanoDragon satellite and eight others into the outer space, will be launched from JAXA’s Uchinoura Space Centre, Japan. (Photo: JAXA)

The solid-fuel Epsilon 5 rocket, expected to carry the NanoDragon satellite and eight others into the outer space, will be launched from JAXA’s Uchinoura Space Centre, Japan.

Earlier, on the morning of October 1, the JAXA had suspended the launch of the rocket some 19 seconds before the scheduled lift-off time.

According to the agency, a glitch occurred at ground radar equipment that monitors the Epsilon-5's position and speed, located near the rocket's launching pad. It might cause a problem in tracking the rocket, JAXA added.

Assoc. Prof., Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of the VNSC, said that the position of the launched satellites remains the same as the original plan. NanoDragon satellite is the 9th (last) satellite to be released into space.

JAXA said that the October 7 satellite launch will be decided again based on weather conditions after tomorrow.

The NanoDragon, a nano-layer cubesat satellite which weighs 3.8 kilogrammes, was developed by the VNSC.

The satellite was delivered to Japan and tested at the Uchinoura Space Centre in Kagoshima Prefecture in August before being officially transferred to the JAXA for launching under the second "Innovative satellite technology demonstration" programme.