May is Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, and Asian Pacific Islanders have made many contributions to the United States over the years, especially in the field of spaceflight, of which the United States is so proud. Amy Kwan, a Chinese-American woman scientist who conducted ground simulations of the helicopter, was credited with the successful maiden flight of NASA’s Kijiki Mars helicopter last month. Voice of America recently interviewed Amy Kwan and another Chinese-American astronaut, Qiyi Lin, to hear their stories of Asian American spaceflight.
NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren interviewed by VOA
NASA Chinese-American female scientist Amy Kwan (center) explains to visitors.
Chinese-American female scientist Amiee Quon is a mechanical integration engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). She was born into a Chinese scientific family, with a father who was a chemical engineer and a mother who studied mathematics and computers and did research for NASA. She herself studied mechanical engineering and has worked at NASA since completing her studies.
I’ve wanted to work in the aerospace industry since I was a kid,” she said. As a kid growing up in Houston, not far from Johnson Space Center, where all the astronauts were. Of course, back then, I thought space was really cool, and it was fun to think about something so far away from me. On top of that, when the Jet Propulsion Laboratory landed the Voyager Mars rover on Mars in 1997 and it was on the cover of Time magazine, I saw it and thought wow, this is really cool.”
Sharing her dream of spaceflight from a young age was Kjell Lindgren, the first Taiwan-born astronaut. His mother is Taiwanese and his father is of Swedish descent. He has a background in biology, medicine and public health studies, served in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a surgeon.
He says, “I’ve wanted to be an astronaut for as long as I can remember. I think I was inspired by science fiction and movies. I loved to read and read those stories, and then I remember very clearly when I was in second grade and my teacher brought the TV into the classroom and we watched the launch of the first space shuttle, Columbia, in 1981, and that’s when I realized that science fiction could become reality and that it was possible to live and work among the stars. It was then that this dream was cemented in my mind. Since then, I have realized how challenging and competitive it is to become an astronaut. But that goal has stayed with me while pursuing other goals, and I’ve always been very passionate about serving in the Air Force and working in the medical community. But having the opportunity to serve my country as an astronaut is truly an honor.”
Linchiel participated in the Expedition 44/45 mission on July 22, 2015, and spent 141 days on the International Space Station before returning to Earth. He was also assigned as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Manned Mission 4, which will re-enter the ISS in 2022.
But the road to success was not always easy. After learning to fly planes while serving in the Air Force, Lynchiel wanted to follow the path to becoming an astronaut by becoming a fighter pilot, but was not only banned from flying but also forced to retire because of his asthma.
“My dream of becoming a pilot and eventually an astronaut, which I had worked for more than 10 years, was dashed in my mind. You can’t become an astronaut if you retire from the Air Force because of health factors. The dream of becoming a pilot and becoming an astronaut was completely obliterated. It was a very challenging time for me. I felt like I was at the bottom of a valley of despair.” Lynchiel said.
With the support of his family and friends, Lynchiel enrolled in medical school, hoping to find a new path. Meanwhile, his asthma diagnosis was cleared and he was able to continue his dream of being an astronaut again.
“The day that once seemed like a curse was actually a blessing because when I look back, if I hadn’t chosen to become a doctor and start working, I wouldn’t be here today. So it’s amazing to realize that such challenging times, such obstacles, can actually be good things. That perspective of looking at things is something I try to maintain and share with others.”
NASA’s increasingly diverse employee base
NASA’s increasingly inclusive and enlightened environment has also helped the two Chinese-American scientists realize their dreams.
Asian students are generally considered to be good academic achievers, especially in the natural sciences. But in the U.S. space community, Asians are a definite minority. In recent years, the situation has changed considerably through various efforts. NASA employs nearly 17,000 people, according to 2020 data. About 71 percent of those employees are white, and about 8 percent are Asian Pacific Islander. That compares with more than 95 percent of white employees and just 0.7 percent of Asian Pacific Islanders in 1970.
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make valuable contributions to all aspects of our society, including NASA’s missions and successes,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement this month.” The Biden-Harris administration and NASA are committed to a diverse and inclusive culture that welcomes, respects, connects and interacts with all employees.”
Amy Kwan also said she has seen a lot of change in her 10 years at NASA.
“Today, the aerospace industry is actually becoming more diverse. In the 10 years I’ve worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while it’s still predominantly male, there are more and more women joining every day. In addition, we’re pushing for more diversity, including outreach to engineer associations that are predominantly people of color. It’s really helpful for people to have different backgrounds to work on certain projects because they bring different perspectives, they have different ideas, and they can add their experiences to the mix.”
Astronaut Kier Lin said, “I’m very happy to see that NASA recognizes the importance of diversity in background, race and skills. I think that’s a huge strength. I see that reflected in our astronaut corps and in our workforce. When we can continue to acquire skills, backgrounds, different ways of thinking and problem solving, we are better together. When we do that, we are really set up for success.”
Inclusion and diversity create U.S. space advantage
Many attribute NASA’s ongoing success to America’s advanced education, enlightened democratic politics and strong financial resources. Two Asian scientists say NASA’s dominance in space is inextricably linked to the inclusiveness and diversity of its research team.
Amy said, “I believe America’s strength in this area is that we are a little more open to those different ideas that everyone brings to the table, and we decide which idea is superior by trying it out.”
For his part, Lynchiel believes that this inclusion and diversity also includes tolerance and cooperation with other nations, which has allowed the U.S. to grow strong in the space arena.
He said, “If we look back at the competition in the 1960s, that really was the driving force behind America’s success. It drove us to be the best we could be and to do all the work necessary to get us to the moon. I think that even today, NASA uses space and science as a unifying force. When I think about the International Space Station and what we have accomplished in the last 20 years, international partners, including Japan, Germany and Russia, have been involved in this modern engineering marvel. Just a few decades ago, these core countries used to be our deadly enemies, but now, it’s amazing what we’ve accomplished in the last 20 years, working together for the common good.”
NASA Administrator Nelson congratulated the Chinese space agency’s Zhu Rong Mars rover on May 19, when it sent back to Earth the first photos from its landing on Mars.
As the international community of scientific robotic rovers grows on Mars, the U.S. and the world look forward to seeing Zhurong’s discoveries and improving humanity’s understanding of the red planet,” Nelson said. I look forward to future international discoveries that will inform and develop the capabilities needed to land humans on Mars.”
Lynchiel said countries should work together to contribute to the human exploration of the universe, including China.
If politics is a ship, he said, “the space station is the keel, no matter how the political winds blow. The space station program is a stabilizing force that gives national partners the opportunity to work together and share what is happening in the world. I think it’s an important exploration as a global effort, and each milestone contributes to the human understanding of the universe. So we certainly look forward to China’s contribution to a better understanding of the universe.”
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