PSLV

India will establish a satellite tracking and imagery centre in Vietnam to access data sent by its earth observatory satellites.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will reportedly invest $23m in the satellite tracking and data reception centre in Ho Chi Minh city.

An Isro official was quoted by Reuters saying: "This is a sort of quid pro quo, which will enable Vietnam to receive IRS (Indian remote sensing) pictures directly, that is, without asking India.

"Obviously it will include parts of China of interest to Vietnam."

Vietnam will get access to imagery in return for the site it will offer for the centre, providing it with pictures covering China and the South China Sea.

India has 11 earth observatory satellites in orbit. Data from these satellites is used for applications, including agriculture, water resources, urban planning, rural development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, ocean resources and disaster management.

Though the two countries insist the imagery will be used for civilian purposes, security experts indicate military use.

"In some cases, the imagery from a modern civilian satellite is good enough for military use."

UK Ministry of Defence former naval intelligence analyst Trevor Hollingsbee was quoted by Reuters saying: "The advance of technology means the lines are blurring between civilian and military satellites.

"In some cases, the imagery from a modern civilian satellite is good enough for military use."

Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have a dispute with China over the South China Sea, where the latter has developed artificial islands.

ISRO currently operates ground stations in the Andaman and Nicobar islands in India, Brunei, eastern Indonesia and Mauritius.

ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C31, recently launched the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System’s (IRNSS) fifth satellite IRNSS-1E.

IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system that provides standard positioning services (SPS) and restricted services (RS), in the Indian region and 1,500km around the Indian mainland.

Image: India’s PSLV-C31 launches the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System’s fifth satellite IRNSS-1E. Photo: courtesy of ISRO.