Space Policy 47 (2019) 78e84 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Space Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/spacepol An Examination of Vietnam and Space Travis S. Cottom SAIC, 1911 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22209, USA article info abstract Article history: Vietnam is slowly expanding its presence in space and to better understand where Vietnam is going in Received 28 February 2018 the future, a thorough examination that incorporates several factors must be completed. This article Received in revised form examines Vietnam's history in space, its space strategy, the organizational structure of its space program, 26 June 2018 how Vietnam is expanding its presence in space, and how Vietnam plans to use space for national se- Accepted 28 July 2018 curity purposes. The article also reviews Vietnam's cooperation with other space nations where they are Available online 17 August 2018 substantially benefiting from programs aimed at advancing the capabilities of emerging space nations. The article ends with potential areas that Vietnam and the United States can cooperate to advance both Keywords: fl Vietnam states capabilities in space while at the same time limiting Chinese in uence in Vietnam. © Space program 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Satellites National security Emerging space nations 1. Introduction 23 July 1980, Pham Tuan became the first Vietnamese citizen to fly in space [3]. Following the spaceflight, Vietnam used satellite data The number of nations investing in space has greatly increased provided by the United Nations Development Program for sus- during the 21st century as the availability and commercialization of tainable development purposes [4]. space assets has reduced costs and improved access to space. One In 1986, Vietnam launched political and economic reforms nation that has more recently invested in space is Vietnam. Viet- that transformed Vietnam's economy into one of the fastest nam sees space as an important issue in international relations and growing in the world since 1990 [5]. With this growth, Vietnam military affairs, as well as an important investment opportunity began to explore its options involving space. The government because of the domestic benefits that space capabilities can provide decided that a telecommunications satellite, VINASAT-1, [1]. The purpose of this article is to examine Vietnam's history and would be the best space asset for Vietnam as it would space strategy, their space organizations, their current and future improve telecommunications throughout Vietnam. VINASAT-1 space architecture, and their strategy and options to use space for was initiated in 1995, and the Vietnamese government national security purposes. The article will conclude by examining approved the prefeasibility study in 1998. The satellite was areas of cooperation between the United States and Vietnam that approved by the government of Vietnam in 2002 and placed will benefit both nations. under the responsibility of the Vietnamese Posts and Tele- communications group, which is responsible for Vietnamese 2. Vietnamese space history and developing a space strategy telecommunications networks [6]. In June 2002, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai asked the Vietnam Vietnam's history with space began with the Soviet Union's Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) to collaborate with the Interkosmos program, an international effort between the Soviet Ministry of Science and Technology and all other relevant minis- Union and other socialist countries, which served as a high-profile tries to create a strategy for research and applications of space propaganda exercise that allowed the Soviet Union to carry a technologies [7]. This was the first major push for Vietnam to “guest” cosmonaut-researcher into space [2]. Vietnam and the So- become a domestically capable space nation. In June 2006, in viet Union signed a cooperation agreement on 17 May 1979, which response to the Prime Minister's request, Vietnam introduced its made Vietnam the ninth member of the Interkosmos program. On first national space strategy: the “Strategy for Research and Appli- cation of Space Technology of Vietnam until 2020” [8]. The strategy outlines 6 objectives: E-mail address: [email protected]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2018.07.002 0265-9646/© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. T.S. Cottom / Space Policy 47 (2019) 78e84 79 (i) To form the national policy and legal framework for research, insight for Vietnam and the government's efforts to protect the application, and international cooperation on space environment and build a domestic workforce capable of developing technology and human resource policies; small satellites. (ii) to build the initial infrastructure for space technology; VNSC, previously called the Vietnam National Satellite Center (iii) to plan and carry out a national science-technology program until July 2017, is a research center that is responsible for devel- on space technology; oping the Vietnam Space Center projects, which include research (iv) to master the manufacture technology of ground stations and development, technology applications, and the training of and small satellite technology; high-quality skilled workers who can develop space technologies (v) to manufacture and launch small Earth observation satel- that will improve the value of life for all Vietnamese people. VNSC is lites; and also responsible for developing and implementing international (vi) to apply the space science and technology [9]. cooperation projects in space technologies [16]. VNSC is also responsible for controlling, operating, and managing Vietnam's Vietnam could not achieve this strategy alone and required Earth observation satellites as well as collecting, storing, process- cooperation with countries with advanced spacefaring capabilities ing, and developing satellite image applications [17]. to develop the technologies necessary to achieve its objectives and The Vietnam Space Committee, established in 2010, operates emerge as a modern space nation. outside of VAST and acts as a liaison to international organizations In 2006, the VAST and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on space technologies. The Committee is also responsible for pro- (JAXA) signed a cooperation agreement in 4 major fields: posing programs, plans, and measures to implement the national strategy on research and application of space technology [18]. (i) Remote sensing and the application of remote sensing; (ii) development and application of small satellites; 4. Vietnamese satellites and space data distributors (iii) common research toward Japan's Module on the Interna- tional Space Station (ISS); and Vietnam, as with most other emerging space nations, is rightly (iv) improve VAST's capacity in the field of research and appli- seeking to leverage and import technologies already developed by cation of space technology [10]. countries with more advanced space capabilities. Through inter- national cooperative agreements, this effort seeks to rapidly and To advance its domestic space industry infrastructure and its affordably establish a modern foundation for the domestic space development of space systems, Vietnam implemented the Vietnam industry. Space Center Project in 2012. This project is in cooperation with In addition to obvious tech transfer benefits, international Japan and has 3 main goals: cooperation also enables the development of Vietnamese aero- space engineers and scientists. Today, Vietnam lacks a large num- (i) Build the space center technical infrastructure; ber of skilled workers in the high-tech sector [19]. To address this (ii) build and launch 2 Earth observation satellites with the challenge, Vietnam relies on other nation states to teach its engi- assistance of Japan; and neers the requisite technical knowledge that will become the (iii) develop the capacity for training Vietnamese space scientists foundation for creating indigenous space technologies in the future. and space engineers [11]. For example, Vietnam is cooperating with JAXA to develop smallsat capabilities and train aerospace engineers. Vietnam is also using The Space Center is located in Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park and opened France's Official Development Assistance funds, which requires 2018 [12]. The other 2 goals from the Space Center Project are ex- Vietnam to invest very little economically, while still obtaining an pected to be completed by 2020. The Vietnam Space Center facili- optical satellite and training of Vietnamese engineers. Because of tates Vietnamese engineers to learn from an established space these of international agreements, Vietnam has grown the coun- nation and develop the critical infrastructure and domestic work- try's space resources and emerged as a developing space nation. force necessary to become a successful spacefaring nation, while Vietnam's ability to work and set objectives with various nations building closer ties to a regional power that could further develop has created a model for other emerging space nations to follow. Vietnamese space technologies. Currently, Vietnam has 2 operational commercial communica- tions satellites in orbit, VINASAT-1 and VINASAT-2, both of which 3. Vietnamese space organizational structure aim to improve Vietnam's communications network by providing radio, television broadcasting, and telecommunications services to The implementation of the “Strategy for Research and Applica- Vietnam and its neighboring countries. Both satellites are operated tion of Space Technology of