Thailand & Vietnam Plan Satellite Launches 09/20/95
BANGKOK, THAILAND, 1995 SEP 20 (NB) -- Thailand and Vietnam have
announced plans to launch their own satellites, joining other Asian
nations with satellites already in orbit or planned.

The Bankok Post reported Monday that the Thai military is planning to
launch a communications and intelligence-gathering satellite. The
newspaper reported the project will cost around 26 billion baht ($1.04
billion).

To be named The Star of Siam, the satellite project has attracted the
interest of an unnamed British company which is already talking to
the Thai military about the project. The Defense ministry has set up a
feasibility study into the ambitious plans. Defense Minister Chavalit
Yonchaiyudh was quoted by Reuter as saying, "The military needs to have
its own satellite for command, communications, and intelligence purposes."

Following the Thai announcement, Vietnam's Information Publishing
Center said in a statement published in the English language
newspaper, Vietnam News, the country would launch its own satellite by
the turn of the century. It said a consortium of French and American
companies would build and launch the satellite at a cost of between
$250 million to $300 million.

Thailand and Vietnam will now join the list of Asian countries with
satellite programs.

Recently Singapore said it would build and launch a series of micro-
satellites to be used for communications within the country. The
country's National Technical University will build the system with
the UK's Surrey Satellites in a $7 million program.

Korea has just sent "Mugunghwa," or Koreasat-1, into orbit. After
suffering initial problems which delivered it into a low orbit, the
craft has now reached geo-stationary orbit and will begin operations
shortly. A second satellite will be put into space by the end of the
year.

Malaysia, which currently has a ban on satellite television reception,
will launch its own Measat-1 next year on a European Ariane rocket.
Before the beginning of broadcasting, which will see a 20 channel
package of television available, the country will lift the ban that
prohibits private citizens from owning and operating satellite
receivers.

In the Philippines, the nation's telephone operators are each planning
to launch satellites of their own. Aerospatiale is building a
satellite for the state-backed Philippine Agila Satellite Inc. The
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. is racing to beat Agila into
space and has signed a contract with Space Systems/Loral.

Countries already operating broadcasting satellites include Japan,
China, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. Indonesia just announced that it
would launch two new satellites, Palapa C1 and C2 in January and April
of next year, to meet high demands on the regional communications
system.

Despite the proliferation of satellite projects throughout the region,
many nations are relying on American, European, or Russia space
technology to build the craft. Japan and China has built their own
vehicles and the recent Singapore announcement will see a start to the
space industry in that country.

(Martyn Williams/19950920)