Dr. Pham Anh Tuan
Director General, Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC)
Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST)

APRSAF Secretariat

Dr. Anh Tuan, would you share your story with you and space with us?

Dr. Tuan

I studied and worked in Germany for 18 years as a mechatronics engineer. I had no relation with outer space then. It was 2001 when I decided to go back to Vietnam so that I could contribute to development of my country. At that time, there was no space programs in Vietnam nor a space related job for me. It was 2006 when the government decided to develop a master plan for Vietnam’s space program which later developed“THE STRATEGY ON RESEARCH INTO, AND APPLICATION OF, AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY UP TO 2020”, and we were a part to implement this strategy. My career in space has gone hand in hand with country’s space program.

APRSAF Secretariat

You have engaged with Vietnam’s space programs from its beginning. Among your career at VNSC, what were some of major highlights?

Dr. Tuan

One of the biggest achievements is an ongoing project of establishing Vietnam’s national space center in HHTP. I got opportunities to visit Johnson Space Center of NASA in Houston in 2006 and Tsukuba Space center of JAXA in 2007. These visits made me believe that Vietnam also needs to have a national space center to develop its space program and the government accepted my proposal. Thanks to the support of the Japanese Government including the Official Development Assistance (ODA), the center is expected to be established next year. As you can see, the international cooperation played a role in developing our space program and will do in the future.

Vietnam Space Center in Hoa Lac Hightech Park

APRSAF Secretariat

Could you tell us the focus area for VNSC? Would you also share your view on the roles and expectations on how space innovations can bridge sustainable and prosperous future?

Dr. Tuan

When VNSC was established, VNSC’s “S” stand for “Satellite”. In 2017, VNSC updated its name to Vietnam National “Space” Center. I think this exemplifies our strong interests of expanding our space activities from just about satellites.

One of the highest priorities for us is to develop a satellite “made in Vietnam” as included in the national strategy plan for 2030. This is an area where we would like to encourage the engagement of commercial companies of Vietnam as well as cooperation with foreign partner including Japan. Our space industry still is in early stage but we would like to grow the industry and realize this goal step by step by 2030.

The space application and the utilization are another important area for us where innovation can support sustainability in Vietnam. The space utilization is essential for our development and society. In particular, the application as the crop monitoring for agriculture, the flood monitoring for our disaster management as well as the forest monitoring as illegal timber cutting, illegal fishing for environmental conservation are some of these example. It can also be an area for more international cooperation as well as innovation in terms of data sharing as we obtain data from Japan’s ALOS-2 ESA’s Sentinel and from the U.S. In the future, we would hope that our own satellite can contribute for us and other partners.

Science aspect of space is also our interest including astronomical observatory. In this regard, we are opening the national space museum next year. Space is unique area and I hope the space museum make people in Vietnam interested in space.

Finally, you cannot forget space education. Space can inspire people. Good space education can be achieved through the emphasis on STEM education as well as on “dream” aspect that space entails. In fact, this is rooted in our space activity as in our slogan; “Liftoff your dream!”. Our future of space activities depends on the young people and one of our important jobs is to make them have aspired.

APRSAF Secretariat

It seems that “Dream” is very important part of Vietnam’s space program.

Dr. Tuan

Of course. We have to lift off our dream! In fact, there are many staff in VNSC who gathered being inspired my vision and spirit of VNSC. Many of them are left with private jobs to join VNSC for Vietnam’s space programs. Motivations and dedication of these staff support me and VNSC’s work for promote Vietnam’s space program. By the way, one of my important jobs is to ask government to have an appropriate salary for our staff to make space industry attracts more and more talented people.

APRSAF Secretariat

You have grown Vietnam’s space program from inception. Please tell us challenges for new space actors as VNSC?

Dr. Tuan

How to finance space project is the major challenge. Initially, it was not easy to convince the government that space is an area worth investing. Now, governments share and understand our vision and space accounts the largest among science related budget. I would say that awareness raising inside the country is very important for understanding on space program within the country.

At the global level, space need to be remained open for access by all states. In this regard, countries like Vietnam sometimes face difficulty in accessing new technology that is necessary to develop its space program due to the export control regime. An international joint program between space faring nations and new space nations would pave the way for us to access to necessary technology.

APRSAF Secretariat

Vietnam is a chair of APRSAF-28. Please tell us about the engagement of your country with APRSAF and expectation for APRSAF.

Dr. Tuan

Our engagement with APRSAF started in 2008 and we have a long partnership. May I tell you my dream for APRSAF? One of my dreams in the region is to have an Asian space agency just like the European Space Agency. Why not? I would hope that APRSAF would be a basis for future regional cooperation and collaboration for this direction. In this regard, a tangible regional joint project as joint satellite constellation for the region is crucial and hope APRSAF could take an initiative for this direction.

APRSAF Secretariat

Any message for young people who aspire to engage with space?

Dr. Tuan

Liftoff your dream!
We belong to the first generation in Vietnam’s space program. I am proud of myself for this. It is important for our generation to hand over this dream to the next generation and I have high hope with my young people.
We need young people with dream in space industry. This is important not only for Vietnam but for all countries and people who engage in space.