Amanda Nguyen - The first Vietnamese woman to fly into space

At 8:30 pm on April 14 (Hanoi time), the New Shepard space shuttle left the launch pad in Van Horn, Texas, carrying a crew of 6 members into space.

Accompanying Amanda Nguyen on the NS-31 mission are five outstanding female astronauts: Aisha Bowe, a former Bahamian-American aerospace engineer; Gayle King, a famous journalist; Katy Perry, a singer and philanthropist; Kerianne Flynn, a film producer; Lauren Sánchez, a helicopter pilot and journalist.

Representatives of the Vietnam Space Center, Hero Pham Tuan and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper watched the NS-31 flight online at the US Ambassador's residence.

It was the first all-female crew since Valentina Tereshkova's flight in 1963, marking a step forward in gender equality in space.

NS-31 is also the 31st space flight and the 11th human spaceflight by the US technology company Blue Origin.

The flight lasted 11 minutes, the crew experienced a few minutes of zero gravity at a maximum altitude of about 105km, admiring the curve of the Earth and the darkness of space and the universe before landing safely in West Texas.

Ms. Vu Hoai Thuong (Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh, Hanoi) and her children attended the online event to monitor flight NS-31 at the headquarters of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.

Ms. Vu Hoai Thuong (Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh, Hanoi) expressed her excitement and emotion when she and her two children attended the event to watch flight NS-31 online at the headquarters of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology on the evening of April 14.

"Today, I am really lucky to have the opportunity to bring my children to attend this wonderful program, hoping that through this, their dreams will be extended, and maybe in the future they will be the next people to conquer the sky of Vietnam," Ms. Thuong happily shared.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Ngoc Diep, Director of the Center for Astrophysics and Space Exploration (Vietnam Space Center), President of the Vietnam Astronomy and Space Association, the event of the New Shepard spacecraft carrying Amanda Nguyen and five female astronauts into space also marked an important milestone in space exploration and the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the United States in the field of aerospace.

Scene of the online tracking event of flight NS-31 at the headquarters of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology on the evening of April 14.

In 2025, when Vietnam and the United States look back on 50 years since the end of the war and 30 years of rekindling friendship, this event will act as a bridge of reconciliation, connecting the two peoples through a common aspiration: sowing the seeds of dreams to reach the vast universe.

During this flight, the Vietnam Space Center provided 169 lotus seeds (Nelumbo nucifera) to accompany Amanda Nguyen on her journey beyond Earth.

Lotus seeds were selected to be sent into space.

Selected from the Center for Research and Development of Flowers and Ornamental Plants under the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, after the NS-31 flight, these lotus seeds will contribute to promoting research on the effects of space on growth, contributing to plant science and space exploration.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Ngoc Diep hopes that this event will spread scientific values ​​to the community, attract young people's interest in science and technology, arouse their passion for space exploration and sow the seeds of dreams to reach the vast universe.

Here are some photos of the historic NS-31 flight:

Origin's New Shepard spacecraft is ready for launch.

The New Shepard spacecraft lifted off from the launch pad in Van Horn, Texas, USA, carrying Blue Origin's first all-female crew into space.

This is the 31st space flight and the 11th human space flight by the US technology company Blue Origin.

The New Shepard spacecraft flew into space with many people present at the launch site watching.

The propulsion system landed after more than 7 minutes.

The New Shepard spacecraft's propulsion system landed safely at its intended location.

After about eight minutes in space, the crew cabin began to parachute for landing.

The cabin carrying six astronauts landed safely after an 11-minute flight into space.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/amanda-nguyen-nguoi-phu-nu-goc-viet-dau-tien-bay-vao-khong-gian-post872397.html