.jpg "Người phụ nữ gốc Việt đầu tiên sắp bay vào vũ trụ")
.jpg "Blue Origin hoàn thành chuyến bay thứ 10 đưa hành khách vào vũ trụ")
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Vietnamese-American astronaut Amanda Nguyen brought 169 lotus seeds - a symbol of Vietnamese culture, on her journey into space.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos' reusable rocket-ship complex New Shepard landed safely with six astronauts about 10 minutes after launching from West Texas at 8:30 a.m. on April 14 (8:30 p.m. Hanoi time).
The six members flying this time include singer Katy Perry; Aisha Bowe, a former Bahamian-American aerospace engineer; Amanda Nguyen, founder and executive director of the NGO Rise; journalist Gayle King; film producer Kerianne Flynn; and Lauren Sánchez, a helicopter pilot and journalist.
The NS-31 crew was tasked with testing a new flight suit during the trip. In addition, Vietnamese-born astronaut Amanda Nguyen also brought 169 lotus seeds (Nelumbo nucifera) - a Vietnamese cultural symbol, on the journey.
The Vietnam Space Center (VNSC), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, said the seeds were selected from the Flower and Ornamental Plant Research and Development Center under the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Scientists will study the effects of space on their growth.
About four minutes after launch, the New Shepard booster separated from the RSS Karman Line capsule and began its descent to the landing zone, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from Launch Site One. The RSS Karman Line continued its arcing trajectory into space, allowing the crew to experience a few minutes of weightlessness.
Eight minutes after launch, the rocket successfully landed vertically.
The capsule opened at 8:54 p.m. (Hanoi time), and the astronauts stepped out safely one by one. "I don't think I can put it into words. The Earth looked so quiet but also so alive," Lauren Sánchez, the fiancee of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, shared right after stepping out of the ship. Sánchez also said that she was very proud of the crew, feeling extremely happy and grateful after the flight.
This is the first all-female spaceflight since June 16, 1963, when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made a three-day solo flight into Earth orbit.
Flights on New Shepard last about 10 to 12 minutes from takeoff to landing. The crew will cross the Kármán Line, considered the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space, which lies 100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. They will also experience a few minutes of weightlessness, watching the blue planet stand out against the blackness of space.
Blue Origin has not publicly disclosed ticket prices. Meanwhile, its main competitor in the space tourism industry, Virgin Galactic, is charging $650,000 per seat.
TB (summary)