Out of a region of over 600 million people, only a handful have left Earth’s atmosphere. Some participated within the space programs of major powers, one through a industrial spacecraft funded by a billionaire. Here’s the complete list.
1. Pham Tuan (Vietnam)
Phạm Tuân, a North Vietnamese military pilot, was the primary from Southeast Asia to achieve space on the Soyuz 37 mission on July 23, 1980. He flew as a part of the Soviet Union’s Intercosmos program, which was intended to hold cosmonauts from allied countries.
For almost eight days, Phạm Tuân stayed aboard the Salyut 6 space station with Soviet cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko. His journey was not only a scientific milestone, but in addition a strong political moment, coming just five years after the tip of the Vietnam War.
Read also: Phạm Tuân, the primary person in Southeast Asia to fly into space
2. Eugene Trinh (Vietnamese American)
Born in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, Eugene Trinh flew on NASA’s STS-50 mission on June 25, 1992, as a payload specialist, specializing in science payloads.
Although he served under the United States, he’s credited with being the second person born in Southeast Asia to achieve space. Its mission focused on materials experiments in microgravity.
3. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (Malaysia)
Orthopedic surgeon Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor became Malaysia’s first astronaut throughout the Soyuz TMA-11 mission on October 10, 2007, to the International Space Station. What made his journey unique was its timing throughout the month of Ramadan.
Malaysia’s religious authorities have even issued special guidelines on how Muslims can observe their religious obligations in space, including praying and determining the direction of Mecca while orbiting Earth.
Read also: Malaysia’s first astronaut and first Muslim to fast in space
4. Amanda Nguyen (Vietnamese American)
On April 14, 2025, civil rights activist and scientist Amanda Nguyen flew on the Blue Origin NS-31 suborbital mission, becoming the primary woman of Vietnamese descent to achieve space.
She was a part of an all-female crew alongside Gayle King, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe and Kerianne Flynn, making it the primary all-female crew since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963.
During the roughly 11-minute flight, Nguyen, in collaboration with the Vietnam National Space Center, conducted three scientific experiments, including observing the consequences of microgravity on rapa seeds native to Southeast Asia.
Unlike many of the other crew members, Nguyen was the just one with formal astronaut training, which included high-g simulations and hyperbaric chamber experiments.
Read also: “Hello Vietnam” – Amanda Nguyễn becomes the primary Southeast Asian woman in space
