Earth observation satellite THEOS-2 (Photo source: Bangkok Post)

Hanoi – Thailand on October 9 announced that it had successfully launched the second earth observation satellite, THEOS-2, into orbit from the French Guiana Space Centre.

Thai Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovations Supamas Isarabhakdi said the ground station will conduct a trial run of the satellite system for about three months before it becomes fully operational and starts performing earth observation activities.

She noted that this mission is a great leap for the country's response to various emergency situations using fresh, detailed and accurate information gathered from the remote sensing services.

Equipped with high-resolution imagery, the 425kg satellite will help provide information for agriculture, water management, urban planning, and natural resource management, according to the Thai Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA).