Airbus Defence and Space, the French Space Agency (CNES), and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) have signed a Declaration of Intent (DoI) to expand their cooperation in Earth observation, building on the successful legacy of the VNREDSat-1 satellite program.
The agreement was signed in Hanoi during an official visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, in the presence of Vietnamese President Lương Cường. It reaffirms all three parties’ shared commitment to advancing Vietnam’s capabilities in climate change monitoring, disaster response, and natural resource management through next-generation satellite systems.
As part of the agreement, Airbus and VAST will deepen technical cooperation to sustain the performance of VNREDSat-1, while jointly exploring a future satellite program using advanced technology from the CNES-Airbus CO3D constellation. The DoI also outlines plans for a comprehensive approach to training and technology transfer to build local expertise.
“The renewed cooperation between Airbus, CNES and VAST reflects a clear dedication to long-term partnerships that build sovereign capabilities and deliver meaningful societal value,” said Stéphane Vesval, Senior Vice President of Sales Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space. “We are proud to continue supporting Vietnam’s vision of becoming a leading spacefaring nation in Southeast Asia, and we look forward to enabling the future evolution of the VNREDSat programme.”
CNES and VAST also intend to expand their scientific and technical exchange in areas such as Earth observation data applications and capacity-building, aiming to develop targeted tools and services based on shared satellite data.
The new agreement continues the spirit of collaboration first established in 2013 when Airbus launched VNREDSat-1. Operated by VAST, the satellite has more than doubled its expected service life and remains a vital source of data for environmental and scientific uses in Vietnam.