[FPSPACE] Soyuz landing

[dstdba at post4.tele.dk]

 Let's use the happy occasion to reminisce upon Phạm Tuân, Hero of the Soviet Union
 (born February 14, 1947), who was the first Vietnamese cosmonaut and the first
 person from a third world country as well as the first Asian (excluding Russia) in space.

 According to Wikipedia :-)

 Phạm Tuân was born in Quoc Tuan, Thái Bình province in northern Vietnam. He joined
 the VPAF, or Vietnam People's Air Force in 1965 to be later commissioned as a combat
 officer, fighting in the Vietnam War against US fighter jets from then onwards until 1975.

 On the night of December 27, 1972, he is claimed to have shot down a United States
 B-52 bomber over Hanoi while flying a MiG-21, becoming the first and only pilot ever to
 do so. The USAF does not acknowledge the claim, reporting that all B-52s lost during
 the Vietnam War were shot down by Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs). For his military
 exploits, Phạm Tuân received a number of high State distinctions including the Ho Chi
 Minh Order. 

 He was selected as part of the sixth international crew for the Intercosmos programme
 on April 1, 1979. His backup cosmonaut was to be Bùi Thanh Liêm.

 Phạm, along with Soviet cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko, was launched from Baikonur
 Cosmodrome on July 23, 1980, on board Soyuz 37. They were to service the
 Salyut 6 station.

 Phạm was in space for 7 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes. He completed 142 orbits.

 He is now a Lieutenant General, Head of the General Department of Defence Industry
 of the Ministry of Defence, and a member of the Vietnam National Assembly.

--
Jens Kieffer-Olsen
Slagelse, Denmark