Tonight, watch online the first Vietnamese-American female astronaut flying into space.

Amanda Nguyen, the first Vietnamese-American woman to fly into space, will officially begin her special journey tonight (April 14) Vietnam time. She will bring 169 lotus seeds with her.

Today, April 14, the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) - Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) has just announced its cooperation with Vietnamese-American astronaut Amanda Nguyen - founder and CEO of the non-governmental organization Rise, in the historic space mission NS-31 with Blue Origin's first all-female crew.

The New Shepard spacecraft launch is scheduled to take place in western Texas (USA) at 8:30 a.m. local time on April 14, or 8:30 p.m. tonight Vietnam time.

Amanda Nguyen grew up with dreams of conquering the stars.

Photo: AFP

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

With 169 Vietnamese lotus seeds

In particular, VNSC said it provided 169 lotus seeds (nelumbo nucifera), a symbol of purity and vitality in Vietnamese culture, to accompany Amanda Nguyen on her journey to explore the universe.

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.

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 the mud, becomes a symbol of perseverance and hope.

Lotus, a symbol of purity and vitality in Vietnamese culture, will join Amanda Nguyen on a journey to explore the universe.

PHOTO: BA CUONG

Born in California to Vietnamese parents, Amanda Nguyen grew up dreaming of reaching for the stars. As the founder of the Rise organization, she became the first Vietnamese-American woman to fly into space.

Accompanying Amanda Nguyen on the NS-31 mission are five distinguished female astronauts: Aisha Bowe, a Bahamian-born American former 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. This is the first all-female crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s flight in 1963, representing a step forward for gender equality in space.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/toi-nay-theo-doi-truc-tuyen-nu-phi-hanh-gia-my-goc-viet-dau-tien-bay-vao-vu-tru-18525041416010451.htm