Organised by the two provinces, Thủ Đức City in HCM City and the HCM City Computer Association (HCA) with support from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, it will make Việt Nam the first Southeast Asian country to host such a NASA event.

Visitors will have the chance to meet with US astronauts and experience space exploration and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) educational activities.

Michael Koetsier, vice president of client management at Skyrora UK Ltd, an orbital launch vehicle manufacturer focused on providing clients with low cost access to space for a range of satellites, said astronaut Mike Baker and flight surgeon Dr Josef Schmid would be in attendance. 

Baker was on four space missions, twice each as pilot and mission commander, and later became director of operations for NASA based at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, he said.

Schmid was an aquanaut serving in the NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) project, the world’s only undersea research laboratory. 

He is now the lead for Orion (Artemis) medical operations, an international programme that will take humans to the moon. He was also the first person to be “holoported” off the planet and into the ISS.

Koetsier said: “The event will focus on raising awareness among young people of the opportunities that exist for them if they choose to pursue a career with STEM.

“We invite all young people to come along to … take part in the many events which will run throughout the week.”

HCA Chairman Lâm Nguyễn Hải Long said Vietnam Space Week aims to inspire the young generations through astronauts' stories about working and living in space, share information about scientific studies on how to protect Earth, minimise environmental pollution, warn of the risks of collision with asteroids, and provide information about extraterrestrial life among others, thereby inspiring and providing career-oriented education and career orientation for them.

“This is the first time such a NASA event is organised in a Southeast Asian country, and we hope to make it an annual event and expect NASA to continue choosing Việt Nam as the host country and upgrading it to the ASEAN level.”

The event will be held in Hậu Giang Province on June 5-6, HCM City on June 7 and Bình Định Province on June 8-9. — VNS