Eugene Huu-Chau "Gene" Trinh ( Vietnamese: Trịnh Hữu Châu, born September 14, 1950) is a

Vietnamese American Vietnamese Americans () are Americans of Vietnamese ancestry. They constitute a major part of all overseas Vietnamese. As of 2023, over 2.3 million people of Vietnamese descent live in the United States, making them the fourth largest Asian Ame ...

biochemist who flew aboard NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-50 as a

Payload Specialist A payload specialist (PS) was an individual selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a NASA Space Shuttle mission. People assigned as payload specialists included individuals selected by t ...

, becoming the first Vietnamese American astronaut in space and the second Vietnamese in space (after cosmonaut

Phạm Tuân Phạm Tuân ( born 14 February 1947) is a retired Vietnam People's Air Force, Vietnamese Air Force fighter pilot and Astronaut#Cosmonaut, cosmonaut. He became the first Vietnamese people, Vietnamese cosmonaut, and the first person of Asian ori ...

Biography

Trinh was born in

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

. Trinh moved with his parents to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France, when he was two years old. He came to the United States to study when he was 18 and later became an American citizen. Trinh graduated from Lycee Michelet in Paris, France, in 1968 with a baccalaureate degree. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering-Applied Physics from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1972. He then studied at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, earning a Masters of Science in 1974, a Masters of Philosophy in 1975, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Applied Physics in 1977.

Career

Trinh served as the director of the physical sciences research division in the Biological and Physical Research Enterprise at

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

headquarters. He started with NASA in 1979, as a senior research scientist at the

Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in La Cañada Flintridge, California, Crescenta Valley, United States. Founded in 1936 by Cali ...

. He conducted experimental and theoretical research in fluid dynamics, fundamental materials science, and levitation technology for 20 years. He performed hands-on experimental investigations in laboratories aboard the NASA KC-135 aircraft, and on the Space Shuttle ''Columbia''. Trinh was a payload specialist crew member on the STS-50/United States Microgravity Lab-1 Space Shuttle flight in 1992. As director of the physical sciences research division at NASA, Trinh leads the effort to develop an innovative peer-reviewed scientific program focusing on the effects of gravity on physical, chemical, and biological systems. The results of this program will enable the human exploration and development of space, providing the scientific basis for technologies permitting humankind to explore the vast expanses of the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...

and beyond. In May 2004, Trinh received the Golden Torch Award from the Vietnamese American National Gala in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Trinh formerly resided in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights, Californi ...

, but now makes his home in

McLean, Virginia McLean ( ) is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population of the community was 50,773 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is ...

. He is married to the former Yvette Fabry and has one child.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trinh, Eugene H. 1950 births American astronauts Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni Vietnamese expatriates in France Living people People from Culver City, California People from McLean, Virginia People from Ho Chi Minh City Vietnamese emigrants to the United States Vietnamese astronauts Yale University alumni American aviators of Asian descent Space Shuttle program astronauts

Biography

Career

See also

References