According to a report by Reuters on August 11th, Vietnam's space company VinSpace announced that it has signed a satellite launch contract with American space exploration technology company SpaceX. They plan to launch their self-developed satellites together next year.
In a statement, VinSpace said that the company will develop and manufacture satellites independently, and they will be launched into orbit via SpaceX’s Transporter Rideshare program in the second quarter of 2027. This is the company’s first satellite launch agreement, aimed at enhancing its capabilities in satellite design and manufacturing, launch mission management, and satellite operation.
VinSpace stated that reliable access to space is crucial for achieving satellite innovation and ultimately putting it into practical operation. The contract with SpaceX is a “major milestone” in the company’s strategy, which helps Vietnam build its “space ecosystem”.
Source image: SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle IC photo
VinSpace was established in November 2025. It is a subsidiary of Vietnam’s largest private enterprise group, Vingroup. Vingroup founder Nguyen Hoang Minh Tuan holds most of the shares in this company. VinSpace is dedicated to developing nano-satellites “made in Vietnam” for telecommunications, remote sensing, and other socio-economic applications.
Vietnamese's first satellite Vinasat-1 was launched in 2008 aboard the European Space Agency Ariane 5 rocket from the French Guiana Space Centre. Subsequently, Vietnam has launched further satellites using both the European Space Agency and Japanese launch vehicles, including Vinasat-2, F-1, VNREDSat-1a, PicoDragon, MicroDragon and NanoDragon.
In March of this year, the VegaFly-1 pocket cube satellite developed by Vietnam's VEGA Space and Earth Space Academy was launched using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. This satellite is a project focused on education, aiming to provide Vietnamese students with practical experience in design and operation.
