Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology continues to promote cooperation with French partners in the field of space and aviation technology

04/06/2025

On May 26, 2025, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) signed a Declaration of Intent (DoI) with the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES) and Airbus Defence & Space (ADS) in the field of developing Earth observation satellites, witnessed by President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Luong Cuong and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron. This is an activity during the State visit of the French President, demonstrating the support of the two States in promoting cooperation in the field of high technology, especially in satellites and space.

The DoI signed acknowledged the parties’ readiness to expand cooperation in developing a new generation of satellites for Vietnam, including technological solutions, human resource training and application sharing for sustainable development; following the success of the VNREDSat-1 satellite project – one of the symbols of high-tech cooperation between Vietnam and France. Designed and successfully launched by Airbus in 2013, VNREDSat-1 is Vietnam’s first Earth observation satellite, currently operated by VAST and has provided over 170,000 remote sensing images to effectively serve the monitoring of natural disasters, climate change, territorial planning and resource management. From that foundation, the parties agreed to coordinate the development of the next satellite, taking advantage of the experience of operating VNREDSat-1 and modern technology within the framework of multilateral cooperation programs such as the CO3D program or the Earth Observatory Project (SCO) chaired by CNES with the participation of many major aerospace agencies in the world such as NASA, JAXA, etc.

On the same day, at the headquarters of the Academy, Prof. Dr. Le Truong Giang, Vice President of VAST, received Mr. Stéphane Vesval, Vice President of ADS, General Director of the satellite sector to discuss in detail the technical status of VNREDSat-1 and the direction of implementing the newly signed DoI. In addition to cooperation in the satellite sector, Airbus Group is also accompanying the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) - a unit under VAST - in developing a training program for engineers in aeronautical engineering according to European standards. This is a testament to the comprehensive cooperation strategy, not only in research and design but also in developing high-tech human resources for Vietnam; making practical contributions to the implementation of the Vietnam - France Action Plan for the period 2024-2028, towards realizing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries in the era of innovation and sustainable development.

Prof. Dr. Le Truong Giang, Vice President of VAST received Mr. Stéphane Vesval, Vice President of ADS, General Director of Satellite Sector at the Academy's headquarters

Translated by Quoc Khanh
Link to Vietnamese version