Viet Nam once made incredible history by becoming the first Asian country to send a person into space. This wonderful milestone was achieved by Phạm Tuân, a retired Viet Nam People's Air Force pilot who traveled into space on July 23, 1980.
Born in 1947 in the Thái Bình Province of Viet Nam, he grew up during the Indochina Wars. Moreover, he was also the first Vietnamese person to receive three hero titles from two different countries: Hero of the People’s Armed Forces of Viet Nam, Hero of Labor, and Hero of the Soviet Union.
Phạm Tuân's Military Journey
Phạm Tuân began his military journey in 1965 when he joined the Viet Nam People's Air Force. During his service, he trained deeply as both a pilot and a military engineer. He eventually flew active combat missions against American aircraft during the height of the Viet Nam War.
He became highly famous in 1972 when the Vietnamese government announced that he had successfully shot down an American B-52 bomber during a fierce aerial battle. Although the United States government disputed this achievement, stating that its B-52 losses during that period were caused strictly by surface-to-air missiles fired from the ground, the event permanently secured his reputation at home as a top military pilot.
His bravery and exceptional flying skills earned him the prestigious title of "Hero of the People's Armed Forces" in 1973.
The Interkosmos Program and the Flight of Soyuz 37
In 1979, several years after the war ended and Viet Nam was officially reunited, the Vietnamese government selected Phạm Tuân to participate in the Soviet Union's Interkosmos program. This special initiative allowed pilots from countries friendly to the Soviet Union to train and fly alongside highly experienced Soviet crews.
The program served a major diplomatic purpose, aiming to demonstrate political unity, international cooperation, and shared scientific progress between the Soviet Union and its global partners.
Phạm Tuân’s historic space flight officially began on July 23, 1980. He launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz 37 spacecraft.
On this historic mission, he served as a research cosmonaut alongside the experienced Soviet flight commander Viktor Gorbatko. They successfully connected their spacecraft with the Salyut 6 orbital station, joining other researchers who were already working on board.
During his time in space, which lasted almost eight days (exactly 7 days, 20 hours, and 42 minutes), Tuân conducted several important scientific experiments. He studied the growth of azolla, which is a small type of water fern, and performed complex tests on materials and mineral melting in zero gravity.
He also took many detailed photographs of Viet Nam from orbit to help his country with national mapping and finding natural resources. By the time he returned to Earth inside the Soyuz 36 capsule on July 31, 1980, he had completed 142 full orbits around the planet.
After his successful mission, Phạm Tuân was honored with many top awards, including the famous title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He also received the Order of Lenin.
Over the years, he moved up the ranks to become a Lieutenant General and held important leadership roles in Viet Nam’s defense industry. He finally retired in 2008.
