Vietnam once made incredible history by becoming the primary Asian country to send a person into space. This great milestone was achieved by Phạm Tuân, a retired Vietnam Air Force pilot who flew into space on July 23, 1980.
Born in 1947 in Thái Bình Province, Vietnam, he grew up in the course of the Indochina Wars. Moreover, he was also the primary Vietnamese to receive three hero titles from two different countries: Hero of the Vietnam People’s Armed Forces, Hero of Labor and Hero of the Soviet Union.
Pham Tuan’s military journey
Phạm Tuân began his military journey in 1965 when he joined the Vietnam People’s Air Force. During his service, he received extensive training as each a pilot and a military engineer. Ultimately, he participated in energetic combat missions against American aircraft in the course of the height of the Vietnam War.
He gained great fame in 1972, when the Vietnamese government announced that he had managed to shoot down an American B-52 bomber in a fierce air battle. Although the United States government disputed this achievement, claiming that the B-52’s losses during this era were due solely to ground-launched surface-to-air missiles, the event permanently established his repute at home as a top military pilot.
His courage and exceptional flying skills earned him the celebrated title of “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” in 1973.
Interkosmos program and the flight of Soyuz 37
In 1979, several years after the top of the war and the official unification of Vietnam, the Vietnamese government chosen Phạm Tuân to take part in the Soviet Union’s Interkosmos program. This special initiative allowed pilots from countries friendly to the Soviet Union to coach and fly alongside highly experienced Soviet crews.
The program served a primary diplomatic purpose to reveal political unity, international cooperation, and shared scientific progress between the Soviet Union and its global partners.
The historic Phạm Tuân space flight officially began on July 23, 1980. He launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on board the Soyuz 37 spacecraft.
During this historic mission, he served as a research cosmonaut alongside experienced Soviet flight commander Viktor Gorbatko. They managed to attach their spacecraft with the Salyut 6 orbital station, joining other researchers who were already working on board.
During his stay in space, which lasted almost eight days (7 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes to be precise), Tuân conducted several vital scientific experiments. He studied the expansion of azolla, a small variety of aquatic fern, and performed complex tests on melting materials and minerals in weightlessness.
He also took many detailed photos of Vietnam from orbit to assist his country map the country and find natural resources. Before returning to Earth on July 31, 1980 within the Soyuz 36 capsule, it accomplished 142 complete orbits across the planet.
After his successful mission, Phạm Tuân was honored with most of the highest awards, including the famous title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He also received the Order of Lenin.
Over the years, he rose to the rank of lieutenant general and held vital leadership positions within the Vietnamese defense industry. He finally retired in 2008.
