The fighter pilot who became the first Asian person to travel into space

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Phạm Tuân is a singular figure in modern history. Before becoming a pioneering cosmonaut aboard the Soyuz 37 mission, he served as a decorated Vietnamese Air Force pilot. His career spans the intense aerial combat of the Vietnam War and the scientific frontiers of the Soviet-led Interkosmos space program.

Born in 1947 in Thái Bình province, Phạm Tuân began his military service as an infantry soldier before transitioning to the Vietnam People's Air Force in 1965. After training in the Soviet Union, he became a MiG-21 pilot. During the 1972 Operation Linebacker II, Tuân engaged in high-stakes aerial combat. He famously claimed to have shot down a U.S. B-52 Stratofortress, a feat he achieved by maneuvering within a dangerous 3-kilometer range to bypass the bomber's infrared decoys. While U.S. records attribute the loss of that aircraft to surface-to-air missiles, Vietnamese accounts maintain that Tuân’s air-to-air missiles were responsible.

Tuân’s transition from pilot to cosmonaut was equally unconventional. Initially sent to the Soviet Union for radar engineering, he was redirected into flight training due to a shortage of qualified candidates. In 1979, he was selected for the Interkosmos program. On 23 July 1980, he launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome alongside Soviet cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko. Despite technical engine issues during the flight, the mission reached the Salyut 6 space station, where Tuân spent nearly eight days conducting microgravity experiments and photographing Vietnam from orbit.

Beyond his military and space achievements, Tuân held significant leadership roles, including Director of the Vietnam Defence Industry and Deputy Commander for Political Affairs in the Air Force. He retired as a Lieutenant General in 2007. His legacy is marked by rare honors, including the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Ho Chi Minh, cementing his status as a national icon who bridged the gap between wartime defense and international scientific cooperation.

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