169 lotus seeds, along with a Vietnamese-born female astronaut, flew into space.

On April 14th, information from the Vietnam Space Center (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) indicated that 169 lotus seeds from Vietnam will accompany astronauts on a journey beyond Earth on the evening of April 14th aboard the New Shepard spacecraft. The launch into space will take place at 8:30 PM (Hanoi time) on April 14th, 2025, in Van Horn, Texas, USA.

This event marks a significant milestone in space exploration and the collaborative relationship between Vietnam and the United States.

According to the Vietnam Space Center, the agency collaborated with Vietnamese-American astronaut Amanda Nguyen on the historic NS-31 space mission, the first all-female crew mission of the Blue Origin aerospace corporation (USA).

The Vietnam Space Center is organizing a live viewing event of the NS-31 flight from 8 PM to 9 PM at room 903, building A6, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi .

The live stream link for the NS-31 flight is available on Blue Origin's official website: https://www.blueorigin.com/ Amanda Nguyen is the first Vietnamese-American woman to fly into space.

Joining Amanda on the NS-31 mission were five outstanding female astronauts: Aisha Bowe, a former American aerospace engineer of Bahamian descent; Gayle King, a renowned journalist; Katy Perry, singer and philanthropist; Kerianne Flynn, film producer; and Lauren Sánchez, helicopter pilot and journalist. This was the first all-female crew since Valentina Tereshkova's flight in 1963, representing a step forward in gender equality in space.

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

Selected from the Center for Research and Development of Flowers and Ornamental Plants under the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, these lotus seeds will return after their mission to open up research on the influence of space on growth, contributing to plant science and space exploration.

According to the Vietnam Space Center, the journey of 169 lotus seeds into space is a timeless story, where the lotus flower – a flower that blossoms from muddy waters – becomes a symbol of perseverance and hope.

In 2025, as Vietnam and the United States look back on 50 years since the end of the war and 30 years of renewed friendship, this event will serve as a bridge of reconciliation, uniting the two nations through a shared aspiration: sowing the seeds of dreams to reach for the vast universe.

This journey is made even more meaningful by bearing the mark of the Vietnam Space Center, with the name "lotus" reminiscent of LOTUSat-1 - Vietnam's first radar satellite, a testament to the nation's spirit of reaching for the stars in the space age.

In the coming period, the Vietnam Space Center will continue to implement its research plan and disseminate scientific values to the community, especially young people, in order to ignite a passion for space exploration.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/169-hat-sen-cung-nu-phi-hanh-gia-goc-viet-bay-vao-khong-gian-post1027639.vnp