Yahoo news is reporting an AFP story that my friends in Vietnam's VINASAT project have received three bids for the construction of the VINASAT satellite - which will be Vietnam's first communications satellite.
I was involved in the frequency coordination support and training for the Vietnamese staff in the VINASAT project and made many pleasant visits to Hanoi in support of VINASAT and so it is really good to see that this vitally important national project is now moving forward.
Bids have been received from France's Alcatel Aleneia Space, Sumitomo Corp of Japan and USA's Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems. It will be interesting to see who wins out in this Europe/Asia/US battle to build VINASAT.
VINASAT is expected to be launched by mid-2008.
Read the Yahoo! story here: Vietnam satellite project attracts corporate giants - Yahoo! News (AFP)
