Vietnam has officially joined the Artemis Accords, becoming the 78th nation to sign the agreement. The signing ceremony took place during the Vietnam International Digital Week in Ha Long, with Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan representing the country alongside U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Wicks.
The agreement aligns Vietnam with international principles for peaceful and transparent space exploration. This move builds upon an existing 30-year strategic partnership between the United States and Vietnam, which already covers areas such as economic cooperation, defense, and technology.
NASA and the Vietnam National Space Center have previously collaborated on satellite innovation and Earth observation projects. Earlier this year, NASA partnered with the Vietnamese-German University to support the Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, which tracks global surface-soil water levels.
Vietnam is currently developing its own domestic satellite capabilities through the LOTUSat program, which focuses on weather monitoring, disaster response, and Earth observation. The nation also recently inaugurated its National Space Center in Hanoi to further these research goals.
The Artemis Accords were established in 2020 by NASA, the U.S. State Department, and seven founding nations. The framework provides guidelines for lunar and deep-space activities, emphasizing the sharing of scientific data, the preservation of historic sites, and the coordination of space operations.
