HÀ NỘI — Airbus Defence and Space, the French Space Agency (CNES), and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) have signed a Declaration of Intent in Hà Nội to advance Earth observation collaboration, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Vietnamese President Lương Cường.

The signing, which took place on Monday during President Macron’s official visit to Việt Nam, reaffirms the shared commitment of the three parties to develop and deploy the next generation of Earth observation satellite systems. The initiative aims to support Việt Nam’s efforts in climate change mitigation, disaster response, and sustainable natural resource management.

As part of the newly signed Declaration of Intent, Airbus and VAST will strengthen technical cooperation to ensure the continued performance of the VNREDSat-1 satellite. The two partners will also jointly explore a future Earth observation programme, incorporating advanced satellite technologies developed by CNES and Airbus under the CO3D constellation.

The agreement also lays the groundwork for a comprehensive training and technology transfer initiative. 

Stephane Vesval, Senior Vice President Sales Space Systems, Airbus Defence and Space said: “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."

"We are proud to continue supporting Việt Nam’s vision of becoming a leading spacefaring nation in Southeast Asia, and we look forward to enabling the future evolution of the VNREDSat programme,” he said. 

As part of the broader collaboration framework, CNES and VAST plan to deepen their scientific and technical exchange in the field of Earth observation. The two institutions aim to jointly develop targeted applications using shared satellite data, while also supporting capacity-building programmes. 

The renewed partnership continues the collaborative spirit established with the launch of VNREDSat-1 in 2013.

Operated by VAST, the satellite has exceeded expectations by doubling its planned lifespan and remains a vital source of Earth observation data. VNREDSat-1 has played a key role in Việt Nam’s space development, providing valuable information for scientific research and environmental monitoring. — VNS