FPT Software’s Space Research Department is manufacturing a small satellite named F1.

Fspace’s members.

This project was kicked of on January 1, 2009 by Fspace group, led by engineer Vu Trong Thu. The team leader said F1 satellite is around 3kg in weight and 10cmx10cmx30cm in size. It will have some cameras to take pictures and sensors to collect data on the LEO orbit, around 600-800km from the earth.

This small satellite is designed based on QuakeSat, a nano satellite of the US-based Standford University, which was launched successfully in 2003.

Thu said Fspace finalized the first phase of this project – building a land station to receive satellite from satellites.

“This station has received signals of some small satellites like LO-19 and Cute 1 and decoded cloud pictures from NOAA meteorological satellite and small satellites of many countries,” Thu said.

Fspace is now the second phase: designing the satellite. The total capital for this project is around $80,000.

Thu said the biggest difficulties for Fspace are technical problems, experimental environment, connecting the satellite to the launching missile, and lack of experts in some related fields.

Fspace is asking for frequency using licence from the Vietnam Frequency Agency for future use.

Mai Loan