Blue origin makes history: Who is Amanda Nguyen, the rape survivor who became the FIRST Vietnamese woman in space?

This might come as a ‘shocker’, but it wasn’t just Katy Perry, Gayle King, and Lauren Sanchez who were aboard the Blue Origin New Shepard spaceflight.

There was Amanda Nguyen , too; the Harvard alum , who made history by becoming the first woman of Vietnamese descent to fly to space.

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Want to know more about Amanda Nguyen? Read on.


Who is Amanda Nguyen?

Amanda Ngoc Nguyen is an American social entrepreneur, civil rights activist, a Blue Origin-affiliated space traveler, a bioastronautics research scientist, and the chief executive officer and founder of Rise, a non-governmental civil rights organization.

Early life and education:

Prior to entering college, Nguyen attended Centennial High School. She pursued her higher education at Harvard University , where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating in 2013.

Nguyen gained valuable experience through internships at NASA in both 2011 and 2013, where she conducted research on exoplanets at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Following her internships, she took on the role of Deputy White House Liaison at the U.S. Department of State. In 2016, Nguyen transitioned from her position at the State Department to work full-time with Rise, an organization focused on enhancing educational opportunities.

With encouragement from her mentors during her time at NASA, Nguyen developed aspirations to become an astronaut. In 2021, she achieved a significant milestone by becoming a scientist astronaut candidate at the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences, where she focuses her research on women's health and menstruation.



Surviving rape and ‘Rise’ing above:

In 2013, while attending Harvard University, Nguyen experienced a traumatic incident of sexual assault. At the time, she chose not to pursue legal action due to feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for the lengthy process of a potential trial, which could extend for years. During her interactions with local law enforcement, she learned about a crucial aspect of Massachusetts law: a 15-year statute of limitations for rape. This information prompted her decision to delay filing charges until she felt emotionally and mentally equipped to confront the judicial system.


Nguyen underwent a rape kit examination, only to discover the stringent policy surrounding evidence preservation in such cases. If she did not formally report the assault to authorities, the evidence collected in her rape kit would be destroyed after just six months unless she filed for an extension—something she was not formally instructed on how to do. The very thought of requesting this extension was particularly painful for Nguyen, as it served as a harsh reminder of her traumatic experience. Over time, she connected with other survivors who shared similar stories, leading her to the realization that the existing legal protections for victims of sexual violence were alarmingly inadequate.

In response to these shortcomings, Nguyen organized public awareness events, including a notable fashion show during New York Fashion Week held at the Museum of Modern Art. This event featured models who were themselves survivors of sexual assault, illuminating their stories and fostering a sense of community and empowerment.


The culmination of her efforts was the establishment of Rise, a nonprofit organization she founded in November 2014. This organization is dedicated to advocating for the civil rights of sexual assault and rape survivors. Initially, Nguyen managed Rise in her spare time until September 2016, during which she and her entirely volunteer team raised funds through platforms like GoFundMe. The name “Rise” was chosen intentionally to reflect her belief that "a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can rise and change the world." Her vision for Rise included the ambitious goal of enacting a Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights across all 50 states and at the national level. In pursuit of this goal, she even traveled to Japan to advocate for a similar legislative measure.

Nguyen told UN Women, "After my rape, I experienced a broken criminal justice system. I remember walking out of the hospital and thinking, ‘Where do I go from here?’ I remember walking into my local crisis centre, and the waiting room was filled. I remember trying to figure out what my rights were and what the next steps were. It was incredibly difficult. I found a system designed to obfuscate the paths to justice.”

She asked, "If I was struggling through the system, what about those who didn’t have my resources?”

Amanda wa told by the police and victim rights attorneys that rape cases can take multiple years and they aren’t easy. She had to choose either her career or decide to go for justice.

She told UN Women, "I had a choice. I could accept the injustice or rewrite the law, so I rewrote it.” She added, “I sent out a blast e-mail to everyone I knew, including my professors, peers, and former bosses, and I asked them to walk with me in penning my own justice into existence, in the form of a sexual assault survivor bill of rights."

In July 2015, Nguyen's advocacy efforts took her to a meeting with US Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire, where they discussed federal legislation aimed at strengthening the rights of survivors. By February 2016, the bill inspired by Nguyen's contributions was formally introduced to Congress by Senator Shaheen. To galvanize public support for the legislation, Nguyen collaborated with both Change.org and the comedic platform Funny or Die, utilizing their reach to raise awareness and garner voter support.

Nguyen launched an online petition on Change.org urging Congress to pass the proposed legislation. This initiative quickly attracted notable endorsements, including social media support from celebrities like Judd Apatow and Patricia Arquette. As of February 28, 2016, the petition had garnered an impressive 60,000 of the 75,000 signatures sought. By October of the same year, this number had surpassed 100,000, demonstrating widespread public backing.


Ultimately, the bill cleared significant legislative hurdles, passing through the Senate in May and receiving unanimous approval in the House of Representatives by September. It was signed into law by President Barack Obama in October 2016. This landmark legislation enshrined several critical rights for survivors, including the preservation of rape kit evidence at no cost for the duration of the statute of limitations.

Furthering the cause, on October 12, 2017, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill entitled "Sexual Assault Victims: Rights," reinforcing the protections and rights of sexual assault survivors within the state.


Touching new heights:

After making history as the first woman of Vietnamese descent in space, Amanda shared a message after the capsule's touchdown in Texas. As reported by NBC Los Angeles, she said, "I just want every survivor and every person who's ever had a dream deferred to know that your dreams are valid... And even if your dreams are as wild as going to space, they matter. And you can get there too. If I can get there, you can get there too."

She told The Guardian. "Historically, NASA barred women from becoming astronauts, and one of the reasons they cited the most was menstruation. That's why I’m doing it."


In 2019, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and in 2022, she was one of Time magazine's women of the year.


Blue Origin’s mission was the first all-female flight crew since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo spaceflight in 1963. Apart from Amanda, it included Gayle King, Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowie, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.


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