The VNREDSAT-1B satellite will include remote sensing, high-resolution, multispectral and hyper-spectral imaging, to be used for regular and rapid monitoring of the environmental situation in South- East Asia. Its predecessor, VNREDSAT- 1A, is currently being constructed in Toulouse, France, for launch in 2013 or 2014.

The satellite is of the Proba type (Project for OnBoard Autonomy), an intelligent micro-satellite backed by the federal science policy office since the 1990s. QinetiQ will be the main contractor for the construction, with Spacebel leading the development of on-board and ground software.

Proba 1, launched in October 2001, is still going strong in an orbit 600 kilometres in space. Proba 1 was the first satellite to pinpoint the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland in 2010. Proba 3, an artist’s impression (pictured), will be launched in late 2012 or early 2013, using technology from OIP Sensor Systems of Oudenaarde, East Flanders, to monitor the environment for the Flemish Institute for Technological Research in Mol, Antwerp province.