Conglomerate Thaigroup hopes to build the nation's first spaceship launchpad to facilitate space tourism.
The Vietnamese company has sought permission from Phú Quốc authorities to scout suitable locations on Vietnam's largest island and if all goes according to plan, construction would begin in 2022–2026.
Experts claim there is a demand in Southeast Asia for space travel but Vietnam currently has no means of sending people into orbit. The company says that the VND30 trillion (US$1.32 billion) center for launching and receiving spaceships will be a boon for tourism and benefit the region's overall socio-economic development.
Formerly known as Xuân Thành, Thaigroup made its fortunes via the cement industry and later hydroelectric power. It was founded in Hà Nam Province in 1976 and has been involved in numerous public work projects.
Vietnam's nascent space program has never launched a craft into outer space carrying a human. Notably, in November, the Vietnamese-built and designed NanoDragon was launched from Japan. Once the four-kilogram satellite exited the atmosphere, it lost contact with Earth and has not been heard from since.
[Photo by Anton Shuvalov via Unsplash]
