Now, for the first time, the 34-year-old President Biden–appointed scientific advisor and civil rights activist shares her story. She faced online abuse after being part of Blue Origin’s historic all-female space flight. The short flight — just over 11 minutes — was filled with historical significance. Among them were pop star Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez, the partner of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. With this flight, Nguyen became the first Vietnamese woman to fly in space. Her incredible accomplishment has not gone without a massive backlash.
Nguyen is best known for her civil rights advocacy on behalf of sexual assault survivors. During her flight around the world, she performed hundreds of flight scientific experiments. We’ve known her for many years as a champion for women’s health—a researcher, an advocate, a communicator. Each time, she turned her own traumatic experience into a powerful crusade for justice. After being raped while attending university, Nguyen devoted years to campaigning for justice, which ultimately delayed her ambitions of becoming an astronaut.
After the space flight, Nguyen endured what she called a “tsunami of harassment.” She described in painstaking detail the emotional and psychological impact this abuse had on her health. “I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed,” she recounted. “A month later, when a senior staff at Blue Origin called me, I had to hang up on him because I could not speak through my tears.”
The backlash that Nguyen faced was not just painful. It also underscored the struggles that women experience in male-dominated industries. She mentioned feeling “buried under an avalanche of misogyny,” illuminating the pervasive issues surrounding gender discrimination and harassment in society. Nguyen’s indomitable spirit has seen him through tremendous adversity. Eight months after the tragedy, she writes that she senses the “fog of grief has begun to clear.”
Nguyen recently posted on social media to thank everyone who helped to protect her during this challenging time. Tessa thanked her followers for their sweet words and encouragement, recognizing that when you’re in difficult moments, having a community to lean on makes all the difference.
Amanda Nguyen continues to make her way through the complicated intersection of her personal and professional life. She continues to be committed to ensuring the voices of survivors of sexual assault are heard while raising the women of science and other fields. Her story stands as a testament to the culture war still fighting misogyny. When life deals us a tough hand, it reminds us of the need to be resilient.