HCMC – The Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) opened today at Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in Hanoi with the attendance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

As Vietnam's first high-tech science project funded by Japan's official development assistance (ODA), the center serves as an infrastructure complex designed to strengthen national capacity in space technology - one of the 11 strategic sectors prioritized by the Government. The newly inaugurated facility features a comprehensive ecosystem, including a satellite operation center, a satellite data exploitation and application center, R&D laboratories and a ground station equipped with a 9.3-meter diameter antenna. Beyond its technical functions, the complex houses a space museum and an international guest house. The center is now fully ready for operational phases, focusing on earth observation, natural disaster prevention, and climate change response through advanced remote sensing data. A key highlight of the project is the successful completion of the LOTUSat-1 satellite -Vietnam’s first earth observation satellite equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). This follows the successful 2019 launch of the MicroDragon experimental satellite and the training of 36 aerospace masters in Japan.