Organisers of the "Find the 2nd Vietnamese astronaut" programme have said that up to 3,490 young people have registered for the selection, which was launched three weeks ago.

According to VietnamNet, the majority of the candidates, enrolled by May 7, are men. All of them expressed a burning desire to become the 2nd Vietnamese going into space.

Less than a month after the programme was launched, the selection has attracted much attention from Vietnamese citizens. Many young people consider this a rare opportunity in their lives.

According to the organisers, the candidates must satisfy two conditions: being a Vietnamese citizen and at the age of 18-35, regardless of male or female.

Registering for the selection on the website of the organising committee, candidates can call their friends and relatives to vote for them. Fifty people with the highest number of votes by June 30 will enter the next phase: physical and English tests.

The "Finding the 2nd Vietnamese astronaut" started on April 15. Young people can register in two ways: on the programme’s website or participating in the direct examinations in one of the four major cities, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Can Tho.

100 best candidates (50 with the highest number of votes, 50 people selected directly) will move into the second round.

The top 15 contestants will take part in the third round - reality TV show. Vietnam’s representative will join more than 100 candidates of 61 other countries in an astronaut training to fly in space.-VNA