Prime Minister: Building capacity to be autonomous in satellite technology after 2030

The vision and perspective of developing Vietnam’s aerospace sector were stated by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the inauguration ceremony of the Vietnam Space Center project (under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) and the opening of the “Vietnam – Japan Space Vision Forum 2026”, on the morning of March 13 in Hanoi.

According to the Prime Minister, Vietnam develops space technology to serve specific problems for national development, and “does not just stop at research, but must strongly advance to application, commercialization and building national autonomy capacity”. He emphasized the viewpoint of developing outer space for peaceful purposes, complying with United Nations conventions and international law.

“Vision to 2030, Vietnam strives to become a country with a fairly average level of development in space science and technology in the Southeast Asia region,” he said, recognizing this as a modest goal, “but we must do it step by step, not perfectionism, not haste and learn from experience while doing it.”

“After 2030, build national self-reliance in satellite technology and space data applications to solve global and national security problems,” the Prime Minister said.

To realize this vision, he said Vietnam aims to gradually master satellite technology by 2030, be able to design and manufacture small high-resolution Earth observation satellites and telecommunications satellites, and complete ground infrastructure with a national satellite data reception, control and data processing station system.

At the same time, spatial data will be popularized in many fields such as resource management, environment, natural disaster monitoring, smart agriculture and urban planning. Vietnam also aims to promote businesses to participate in the space technology supply chain, developing value-added services based on satellite data to form a space economic market.

Vietnam’s aerospace science and technology potential

Citing the observation of scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky – one of the founders of modern space travel – that “Earth is the cradle of humanity, but humans cannot live forever in that cradle”, the Prime Minister emphasized that investing in space technology is investing in the long-term future.

Regarding Vietnam, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the domestic space science and technology industry has experienced many important milestones over the past four decades, starting in the 1980s, when Vietnam became the first Asian country to have people fly into space with the flight of hero Pham Tuan.

In 2006, Vietnam had a Strategy for research and application of space technology drafted by the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. In 2008 and 2012, the telecommunications satellites VINASAT-1 and VINASAT-2 were successfully launched, contributing to communication and narrowing the digital gap, especially in remote areas.

In 2013, PicoDragon – the first satellite developed by Vietnam itself, was launched into orbit. Then in 2019, the 50 kg MicroDragon satellite jointly developed by Vietnam and Japan was launched to serve Earth observation, support resource management and natural disaster response. By 2021, the NanoDragon satellite developed autonomously by the Vietnam Space Center continues to be successfully launched, contributing to improving domestic satellite research, design and manufacturing capacity. To date, the LOTUSat-1 radar satellite weighing about 600 kg has been completed and is waiting to be launched into orbit.

“Vietnam’s space science and technology has taken very important first steps, affirming the intelligence, bravery, and self-reliance of the Vietnamese people and promoting international cooperation,” the Prime Minister noted.

In the new context, he emphasized that aerospace science is currently one of the essential infrastructures of the digital economy, while also playing an important role in ensuring national defense and security.

Possessing satellite technology helps maintain the operation of telecommunications networks and global positioning systems, providing important data for countries to monitor resources, predict natural disasters and respond to climate change. This field also promotes many scientific breakthroughs, from the development of new materials to experimental medicine, thereby creating impetus for sustainable development and expanding international cooperation.

In the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, along with a number of ministries, branches and Japanese partners, the Prime Minister proposed to continue perfecting institutions and policy mechanisms for space activities in accordance with Vietnamese conditions and international practices, moving forward to develop a Space Law.

At the same time, he requested to mobilize and effectively use all resources for the development of space science and technology in the spirit of “3 yes”, that is, with contributions from the State, businesses, institutes and scientists, gradually forming the satellite data service market and space technology application ecosystem.

The Prime Minister also requested the early implementation of major programs on developing space science and technology, focusing on improving Earth observation capacity, building a shared satellite data infrastructure and enhancing real-time analysis and warning capabilities. In parallel with that, we are developing high-quality human resources and promoting the role of the Vietnam Space Center as the nation’s core capacity infrastructure in this field; Strengthen international cooperation in space science and technology.

“The motto for action in the coming time is summarized in the words: Space exploration – Mastering technology – Strong cooperation – Sustainable development – Peaceful universe,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister’s sharing received an enthusiastic response in the auditorium. Mr. Tran Hong Thai, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, pledged to accelerate the progress of launching the LOTUSat-1 satellite and substantially exploit and expand international cooperation, first of all with Japan in the journey to conquer space.

“The Institute will maximize all accumulated capacity and invested infrastructure, and will operate the Space Center after we launch satellites professionally, safely and effectively,” Mr. Thai said.

At the event, the President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) pledged to make efforts with the Japanese Government and partner companies to carry out the launch of the LOTUSat-1 satellite, strengthening coordination with the Vietnam Space Center in observing the territory, monitoring natural disasters and natural phenomena in Vietnam through data from satellites such as ALOS-2, ALOS-4.