Micro Dragon, a small satellite manufactured by Vietnamese engineers, is awaiting a safety licence from the Japanese authorities and is scheduled for launch at the end of 2018, according to the Vietnam Space Centre (VNSC).

The 50-kilogram satellite measures 50 x 50 x 50 centimetres and is designed to observe Vietnam’s coastal areas in order to assess water quality, locate fishery resources and monitor changes that could affect Vietnam’s aquafarming sector.

Micro Dragon will also monitor cloud coverage and receive signals from ground sensors to transmit data between distant locations.

The satellite was manufactured by 36 Vietnamese engineers from the VNSC, an agency under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, from 2013 to 2017.

VNSC Director Pham Anh Tuan said that after receiving its license, Micro Dragon will be launched into space aboard Japan’s Epsilon rocket.

Prior to Micro Dragon, Vietnam had previously built Pico Dragon, weighing 1 kilogram and measuring 10 x 10 x 11.35 centimetres. It was launched into orbit in November 2013.

In the future, Vietnam plans to manufacture LOTUSat-1 and LOTUSat-2, two radar satellites weighing approximately 600 kilograms each and measuring 1.5 x 1.5 x 3 metres. They are expected to operate in space for five years.