SpaceX reached a couple of milestones in Vietnam last week, as Starlink, its satellite Internet service, became commercially available across the country, and the company closed a satellite launch deal with VinSpace, a local satellite startup.
Starlink began offering its services in the country with little fanfare, accepting orders from local customers through its website as of August 13, 2026.
Vietnam is the sixth Southeast Asian country where Starlink is available, following Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and East Timor.
Residential customers can choose between two service plans: a 100Mbit/s plan for about 1.32 million Vietnamese dong (approximately US$43) per month and a 400Mbit/s plan for about VND1.71 million (approximately $66) per month. The residential plan comes with a 30-day trial.
Business subscribers will be charged according to their chosen data plan. The 50GB entry-level plan costs VND 1.48 million ($56).
To subscribe, one must also procure a satellite dish, for which there are two distinct hardware alternatives. The lighter Mini Kit is priced at VND8.7 million ($332), while the larger Standard 4X Kit (bundled with a Wi-Fi 6 router) is priced at VND10.3 million ($394).
Starlink rolled out its satellite Internet services in Vietnam 17 months after the government granted the company an exemption from the requirement that foreign investors form a joint venture with a local company that limits their ownership to 50%.
Starlink Services Vietnam is a 100%-owned local subsidiary of Starlink.
In March 2025, the Vietnamese government agreed to allow SpaceX to test its Starlink internet services in the country through the end of 2030. During the five-year pilot program, Starlink is authorized to provide fixed and mobile satellite services to a maximum of 600,000 subscribers.
VinSpace to launch satellites on SpaceX’s rocket
Meanwhile, VinSpace has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch its first satellites aboard a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission in 2027. This move is part of the company’s strategy to develop Vietnam’s emerging space industry.
The SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission provides a cost-effective way for multiple customers to deploy their satellites into orbit. It uses a single rocket to carry all the satellites, which reduces launch costs for everyone involved.
“Reliable access to space is fundamental to turning satellite innovation into operational missions. This contract with SpaceX is an important milestone in our long-term strategy to help build Vietnam’s space ecosystem and strengthen the country’s position within the global space economy,” said VinSpace CEO Thu Vu in a statement.
Established in November 2025, VinSpace is part of the Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, whose businesses include the rapidly growing electric car manufacturer VinFast.
VinSpace aims to become a full-stack aerospace company by developing capabilities across the entire space value chain, including satellite design and manufacturing; assembly, integration, and testing (AIT); launch mission management; satellite operations; and downstream space data products and services.
The company said it will develop and operate the satellites to test VinSpace’s technology in orbit, paving the way for future commercial applications.
Although Vietnam has been seeking to develop its aerospace capabilities for several decades, it remains a small player in the global space industry. According to the Associated Press, which cited official documents, Vietnam launched its first telecommunications satellite in 2008, followed by a second one in 2012.
In March of this year, the Vietnamese government opened a VND7 trillion ($267 million) space science and technology center in the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park in Hanoi. The center is responsible for accelerating the country’s satellite development and utilization of space-based data.
During the center’s opening, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh outlined his country’s goal to become a mid-level space power in Southeast Asia by 2030.
