On April 14, information from the Vietnam Space Center (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) said that 169 Vietnamese lotus seeds will join astronauts on a journey beyond Earth on the evening of April 14 on the New Shepard spacecraft flying into space at 8:30 p.m. (Hanoi time) on April 14, 2025 in Van Horn, Texas, USA.

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

According to the Vietnam Space Center, the agency has cooperated with Vietnamese-American astronaut Amanda Nguyen in the historic space mission NS-31 with the first all-female crew of the Blue Origin Aerospace Corporation (USA).

Vietnam National Space Center organizes an online event to track flight NS-31 from 20:00 to 21:00 at room 903, building A6, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi.

Link to live broadcast of NS-31 flight updated on Blue Origin's official website: https://www.blueorigin.com/Amanda Nguyen is the first Vietnamese-American woman to fly into space.

Accompanying Amanda on the NS-31 mission were 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 was the first all-female crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s flight in 1963, representing a step forward for gender equality in space.

During this space 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.

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./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/169-lotus-seeds-with-phi-hanh-gia-goc-viet-bay-vao-khong-gian-post1027639.vnp