SES Astra Techcom, a subsidiary of SES Astra, has been chosen to participate in Vietnam’s first public satellite project, Vinasat-1, SES Astra announced.

SES Astra Techcom will deliver a pair of satellite-antenna systems that will provide telecommand, telemetry and control. The antennas will be placed in Hanoi and Binh Duong province, and the company also will provide training to Vietnamese satellite operations personnel. Hitec Luxembourg will be a subcontract to SES Astra Techcom on the project scheduled for completion by September 2007.

Vinasat-1 is being built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems for Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Corp. The spacecraft, scheduled to be launched in the first half of 2008 by Arianespace, will be positioned at 132 degrees East and carry 20 C- and Ku-band transponders to provide radio, television and telephone transmission services for Vietnam and the Asia Pacific region.