The 27th Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-27) will be held in Hanoi from October 27 – 30, the Vietnam National Space Centre under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VASC) said on March 26.

Delegates at the APRSAF-26 (Photo: vnsc.org.vn)

The event, to be held by the VASC in coordination with the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, is expected to draw space agencies from Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, China, the US, the UK and Australia.

The APRSAF-27 will feature meetings of four working groups and sideline events such as a regional water rocket competition and a poster making contest themed “Peace in space”.

At the plenary session, delegates will present general reports on the outcomes and orientations of the application of space technology of each country, as well as reports by four working groups and discuss ways to enhance regional cooperation in the field.

The forum will afford Vietnamese managers and scientists a chance to share professional expertise and increase international cooperation, especially in personnel training, in the field.

Throughout its 26-year history, the APRSAF has become one of the largest open forums in the field of space science with the participation of space agencies, governmental bodies, industries, academies and organisations across the region.