Tonight, 169 Vietnamese lotus seeds and a female astronaut of Vietnamese origin flew into space.

On April 14, the Vietnam National Space Center - VNSC (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) announced its cooperation with Vietnamese-American astronaut Amanda Nguyen - founder and CEO of the NGO Rise, on the historic space mission NS-31.

Accordingly, at 8:30 p.m. today ( Hanoi time), Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft will leave the launch pad in Van Horn, Texas, USA to fly into space, carrying Blue Origin's first all-female crew.

The flight lasted about 11 minutes, with the crew experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness at a maximum altitude of about 105km, admiring the curve of the Earth and the darkness of space before landing safely by parachute in west Texas.

The event marks an important milestone in space exploration and cooperation between Vietnam and the United States.

During this flight, the Vietnam Space Center provided 169 lotus seeds (Nelumbo nucifera) to accompany Amanda Nguyen 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 from their mission to open up research on the effects of space on growth, contributing to plant science and space exploration.

Inside the New Shepard, each astronaut has a window seat in the spacious, pressurized crew compartment. The cabin can accommodate six people and is environmentally controlled for comfort. (Photo: Blue Origin)

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

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.

The journey is even more meaningful when it bears the mark of the Vietnam Space Center, with the name "lotus" reminiscent of LOTUSat-1 - Vietnam's first radar satellite, demonstrating the nation's spirit of reaching out in the space age.

In the coming time, the Vietnam Space Center will continue to implement research plans and spread scientific values ​​to the community, especially young people, to arouse passion for space exploration.

Vietnam National Space Center organizes an online event to watch the NS-31 flight from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the headquarters of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi). The link to watch the NS-31 flight live is updated on Blue Origin's official website: https://www.blueorigin.com.

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

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

Source: https://nhandan.vn/toi-nay-169-hat-lotus-viet-nam-cung-nu-phi-hanh-gia-goc-viet-bay-vao-khong-gian-post872360.html