Amanda Nguyen, 34, is a scientist and civil rights activist. During Blue Origin’s most recent 11-minute flight, she made history as the first Vietnamese woman to fly to space. The mission was a media spectacle, with A-list celebrities. Among them were singer-songwriter Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
Just like that, Nguyen accomplished something pretty historic. She disclosed that the emotional aftermath of the flight turned into a “tsunami of harassment.” She was part of the world’s first all-female space voyage, a remarkable feat of history that should have been celebrated. Rather than shielding her, it created record unprecedented level of scrutiny and public criticism focused on her.
Nguyen has gained national attention for her advocacy work to protect the rights of sexual assault survivors. Her journey into activism sparked when at university, she was raped. This traumatic experience cut short her career and dreams of becoming an astronaut. Over decades, she crisscrossed the country advocating for justice until she emerged as one of the most powerful voices in the Civil Rights Movement.
During the Blue Origin mission, Nguyen conducted various experiments focused on women’s health, combining her scientific expertise with her advocacy work. The effects in the days after the flight ended were devastating. She described the harassment she faced online as an “avalanche of misogyny,” stating that it created an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure.”
Eight months later as Nguyen writes, the “fog of grief has begun to clear. Today she’s beginning to get her confidence back. Fueled by passion and conviction, she persists in realizing her vision, as a scientist and an activist. Her tale sheds light on the barriers that countless women face in traditionally male industries. It serves to reinforce that environmentalists’ conversations about misogyny and harassment within the movement cannot end here.
“I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed. 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,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen’s accomplishments as a scientist and activist are a striking counterpoint to the adversities she has endured. Her resilience serves as a reminder of the importance of support for individuals who endure similar experiences in their professional paths.
Nguyen’s achievements as a scientist and activist stand in stark contrast to the challenges she has faced. Her resilience serves as a reminder of the importance of support for individuals who endure similar experiences in their professional paths.