UN praises Thai plan for earth observation satellite

As criticism mounts over Thailand’s ambitious plan to have its own earth observation satellite, the United Nations’ space agency says the move will help to raise awareness of the peaceful use of space technology in developing countries.

 

The praise came during an exhibition called “Thailand’s Contribution to Earth’s Environment from Its Space-related Activities”, presented at the United Nations office.

 

Mazlan Othman, chair of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space, said Thailand’s first earth observation satellite, Theos, was a demonstration of how a developing country could use space technology to alleviate social and economic conditions.

 

“It serves to promote awareness among the general public that outer space is in no way an exclusive club for rich, industrialised countries,” she said.

 

Suwit Vibulsetr, an adviser to Thailand’s GEO-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, said the satellite would provide worldwide geo-referenced images that can be used for various applications including agriculture, forestry, land use, water resources management, urban planning and disaster management.

 

Suwit conceded that Theos might not be able to compete with existing earth observation satellites due to its lower resolution.

 

Science Minister Yongyuth Yuthavong said he had already been approached by several countries asking to buy satellite images taken by Theos. Moreover, the UN had asked for Thailand’s cooperation in using satellite images for regional disaster management and to tackle the drug trade in the region.

 

The Bt6-billion project to make Thailand the first developing country to have its own earth observation satellite was approved by the Thaksin administration in 2005.

 

The budget includes the manufacture and launch of Theos and the development of the ground facilities to operate and control the satellite from Thailand.

 

But with limited knowledge of space technology and few qualified engineers, the GEO-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency was forced to hire a French satellite firm to build and launch Theos. The satellite is now being developed and is scheduled for launch in October.

 

The Theos project was strongly criticised by space technology experts as not worth the money in terms of economics and technology transfer. When visiting Thailand in 2005, Tawat Wirattipong, a Nasa space technology expert, recommended Thailand buy satellite images from existing satellites owned by developed countries.

 

Pennapa Hongthong

The Nation
VIENNA

 

(Source The Nation)