Make in Vietnam: VEGAFLY-1 satellite launched into orbit via Falcon 9 as part of SpaceX Transporter-16 mission with Hanoi ground station establishing contact

At exactly 18:02 on March 30, 2026, the VEGAFLY-1 satellite—designed and built by a Vietnamese engineering team over two years—was successfully launched into orbit from the Falcon 9 rocket under SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission at Vandenberg Space Force Base in the United States. The first signal from VEGAFLY-1 was received at a ground station in Slovenia. At 1:58, a ground station in Hanoi established contact with the satellite for about seven minutes. VEGAFLY-1 is able to transmit and receive signals with ground stations and capture images at a certain resolution.

Role in remote sensing and national applications

VEGAFLY-1 is positioned as a key link in space-based remote sensing infrastructure. The satellite is intended to support applications including environmental monitoring, disaster warning, and infrastructure planning, as well as security and defense. The project is described as helping convert complex space data into strategic information to support sustainable socio-economic development.

Project background and production details

VEGAFLY-1 was designed and manufactured by a team of 10 engineers. Vegacosmos, a space technology company under Vega Group, operates across satellites, geospatial data, artificial intelligence, and system integration. The company said it currently holds 15 IP certificates, patents, and utility models.

In an interview with VnExpress, Vegacosmos said VEGAFLY-1 is its first satellite. The company stated that the project was implemented by roughly 10 engineers with modest development costs. It also said the entire design and manufacturing process for the satellite was carried out in Hanoi, after which the satellite was shipped to the United States to use commercial launch services.

Capabilities, supply chain, and next steps

Vegacosmos said it has control over satellite design and assembly, while components still require import. After VEGAFLY-1, the company plans to develop a second satellite about eight times larger, with additional features and aimed at providing services.

Vietnam’s satellite development context

Vietnam’s space industry has been identified as one of 11 key sectors in the country (Decision 1131 issued June 2025). Previously, Vietnam deployed satellites including Vinasat-1 (2008), Vinasat-2 (2012), and VNREDSat-1 (2013), which were mostly built abroad. Since 2013, Vietnam has begun designing and manufacturing ultra-small satellites such as PicoDragon, MicroDragon, NanoDragon, and more recently LOTUSat-1, gradually building technological capabilities.

In the private sector, FSpace Research Center developed the F-1 satellite, which was launched in 2012 using Japan’s rocket.

Vegacosmos’ broader space data ecosystem

Beyond satellites, Vegacosmos is developing a space data ecosystem that includes a platform providing complete data, Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Applications as a Service (AaaS), deep consultancy, proprietary AI algorithms and models, and training programs including online and eLearning.