Vu Thanh Long, a 20-year-old student from the Technical-Economic Faculty in Australia, will be trained in a course for astronauts, along with representatives from 75 other countries, at the Axe Apollo Space Academy (AASA) in the US.

On October 27th, the decision was announced in Hanoi, in the presence of Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee and Lieutenant General Pham Tuan, the first Vietnamese and Asian astronaut flying into the space.

After more than 6 months, the program “Axe-Looking for Second Vietnamese to Enter Space”, launched by Axe of Unilever Vietnam, selected 11 outstanding people from over 20,000 applicants. The 11 contestants fought a stiff competition among them to win one spot in the Top 3 after undergoing tests on physical strength, communication skills and English language skills. Vu Thanh Long won over two other outstanding contestants, namely Dinh Huy, a 26-year-old graduate at the University of Macquaire, and Nguyen Hoai Nam, a 22-year-old student in a pilot training course of Vietnam Airlines.

According to Lieutenant General Pham Tuan, at AASA, representatives will face more severe challenges before being selected to fly into the space.

The flight into the space is expected to take place in January 2014.

Source: Vnexpress

Translated by Mai Huong