President Luong Cuong has expressed his pride and joy upon learning that, for the first time, a woman of Vietnamese descent has traveled into space, affirming the talent and intellect of Vietnamese people both in the United States and globally.

The milestone event took place recently in West Texas, USA, during a crewed mission by the New Shepard rocket system. Mission NS-31, Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight, carried six distinguished female astronauts from various fields.

Among them was Amanda Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American activist, founder, and CEO of the non-profit organization Rise. The spacecraft successfully reached an altitude of 100 kilometers and safely returned, marking Amanda Nguyen as the first woman of Vietnamese heritage to travel into space.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Dung witnessed the historic launch and personally delivered a letter from President Luong Cuong to Amanda Nguyen.

In the letter, the President conveyed his heartfelt pride in this groundbreaking achievement, which he said highlights the brilliance of Vietnamese individuals abroad and strengthens Vietnam’s global image.

President Luong Cuong noted that 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States. Within this context, he emphasized the valuable contributions of the Vietnamese-American community to the development of the U.S., as well as to fostering bilateral cooperation.

He also praised Amanda Nguyen’s collaboration with the Vietnam Space Center, viewing it as a meaningful step toward deepening space research cooperation between the two countries.

On the evening of April 14, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper met with Lieutenant General Pham Tuan - Vietnam’s first astronaut - to watch Amanda Nguyen’s spaceflight together, symbolizing a moment of shared history between both nations.

According to the U.S. Embassy, Amanda's mission carried lotus seeds from Vietnam into orbit, symbolizing the journey the two countries have traveled and the future they are building together.

The Vietnam Space Center, under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, provided 169 lotus seeds (Nelumbo nucifera), a symbol of purity and vitality in Vietnamese culture. These seeds were selected by the Center for Flower and Ornamental Plant Research under the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

After returning from space, the seeds will be used in scientific research to study how space conditions affect plant growth, contributing to advancements in botany and space exploration.

Joining Amanda Nguyen on the NS-31 mission were five other exceptional female astronauts: Aisha Bowe, former aerospace engineer of Bahamian descent; journalist Gayle King; singer Katy Perry; film producer Kerrianne Flynn; and helicopter pilot Lauren Sánchez.

This was the first all-female astronaut crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s historic flight in 1963, marking a significant stride for gender equality in space exploration.

Tran Thuong