 | | PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng gives speech at the watch of VINASAT-1 lift-off – Photo: VNGOP | In the morning of April 19, from the Kourou launching pad (Guyana) in South America, VINASAT-1, carried by Ariane 5 missile, was rocketed into the orbit over 35,000 km above the Earth. Watching the live broadcast of this event in Hà Nội, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng remarked that “The project is of great political and socio-economic significance, claiming Việt Nam’s spatial sovereignty and raising the country’s status in the international arena”. Once put into operation, VINASAT-1 is expected to help Việt Nam perfect its telecommunication infrastructure, increase capacity and safety of the national telecom-network. Many telecommunication, Internet, radio and television services will be expanded to all corners of the country, even remote areas and islands. | 
| | VINASAT-1 will be put into fruitful operation | According to PM Dũng, VINASAT-1 will be an important factor for Việt Nam’s telecommunication industry to develop at a new height as well as for international cooperation with other countries in the region and the world. The Government chief was convinced that VINASAT-1 will be effectively managed and exploited in order to provide more advanced services to the society, contributing to the country’s socio-economic development cause. | 
| | PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng meets the Lockheed Martin’s CEO – Photo: VNGOP | Right after observing the launching, PM Dũng gave a reception to CEO of Lockheed Martin Marshall Byrd who is on a working visit to Việt Nam. The PM maintained that the initial cooperation between VNPT and Lockheed Martin under the project VINASAT-1 will open more good opportunities for the future ties. Mr. Marshall Byrd showed his willingness to cooperate with the Vietnamese business community in general and VNPT in particular under other projects. By Vũ Thúy Hồng | 