NASA says Vietnam signed the Artemis Accords at Vietnam International Digital Week in Ha Long, becoming the 78th signatory to the framework for peaceful, transparent space exploration.
NASA announced that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has become the 78th nation to sign the Artemis Accords, the set of non-binding principles for the peaceful, transparent and responsible exploration of space. Vietnam's Minister of Science and Technology, Vũ Hải Quân, signed on behalf of the country during Vietnam International Digital Week in Ha Long, with United States Ambassador to Vietnam Jennifer Wicks also taking part in the ceremony.
In recorded remarks for the event, NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson said Vietnam is joining at an important point in the development of its own space program, and that NASA and the Vietnam National Space Center have built momentum in satellite innovation, land-use research and radar-based Earth observation. NASA also pointed to recent cooperation, including a partnership with Vietnamese-German University supporting the Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, as well as Vietnam's new National Space Center in Hanoi and its LOTUSat program for Earth observation, weather monitoring and disaster response.
NASA and the U.S. State Department established the Artemis Accords in 2020 with seven other founding nations. Signatories commit to explore peacefully and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to share scientific data, to avoid interfering with others' activities, and to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts. NASA says more countries are expected to sign in the months and years ahead, and describes Vietnam's decision as extending the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into a new frontier.
