Nguyen to be first Vietnamese American woman in historic flight

By Matthew Yoshimoto

“Never, never, never give up,” astronaut Amanda Nguyen told AsAmNews when asked what advice she would give to women pursuing careers in male-dominated fields. After discovering her rape kit was set to be destroyed, she put her spaceflight dreams on hold, trading “her telescope for a pen” to draft laws protecting survivors. But she never let go of her ambition.

Now, as she prepares to fulfill her lifelong goal of becoming an astronaut, her message is clear: “Always hold onto that dream, even if people say it’s impossible. Impossible is just an opinion.”

This spring, Nguyen will make history as the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman in space while joining the groundbreaking all-female crew of Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-31 mission.

A bioastronautics research scientist, civil rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and TIME’s Woman of the Year, Nguyen explained that about 90% of astronauts who have flown to space are men, making this the first mission where an all-female crew will fly together.

The last solo mission with a woman in space was with Valentina Tershkova in 1963. Sixty-two years later, Nguyen said she is proud to be making history alongside a “group of incredible women.” She will be joined on the mission by Aisha Bowe, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez.

Beyond breaking gender barriers, Nguyen also sees the flight as a symbol of U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation, noting that this year marks 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. Initially nervous about how Vietnam would react to her spaceflight, she shared how deeply honored she felt to be welcomed with “open arms” by her heritage country and the researchers there.

“I am representing my heritage as the first Vietnamese woman to fly to space and I believe this highlights how under the stars regardless of geographical borders—we are all connected,” Nguyen told AsAmNews. “Scientific research advances what we know, hopefully for all of humanity.”

Nguyen emphasized how each crewmate represents their community, with her mission dedicated to survivors of sexual violence and Vietnamese communities.

As the CEO of Rise, a nonprofit dedicated to civil rights advocacy—particularly for sexual assault survivors—Nguyen likens her fight for justice to space exploration, explaining that both require understanding existing systems before pushing boundaries to expand what is possible.

At Rise, she explained that organizers are trained to navigate legal and political landscapes, identify injustices and challenge them, much like astronauts charting new domains. Nguyen emphasizes that justice, like discovery, should not be limited by geography.

On the flight, Nguyen will conduct two experiments—one on menstruation in space and another on plant diseases in microgravity. Historically, menstruation was used as a justification to bar women from becoming astronauts, she explained. To challenge this, Nguyen will test different materials to assess their effectiveness in managing menstruation in space, contributing to efforts toward gender-inclusive space exploration.

Her second experiment, in collaboration with Fastplants at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Vietnam National Space Center, will examine the effects of microgravity on brassica rapa seeds—native to Southeast Asia. Inspired by her mother and aunt’s journey as boat refugees, Nguyen sought a way to honor her heritage and demonstrate how science can be a tool for peace.

Nguyen, as an Asian woman in a field with few role models who share her background, said she encourages young Asian professionals entering underrepresented industries to remember: “Your existence is essential and your pursuit of your dreams is world-changing.” 

“When I had to choose between pursuing justice or pursuing my dreams of going to space, I was told that I could not do both,” Nguyen shared with AsAmNews. “But believe that you are multitudes and you do not have to subscribe to the boxes the world wants to put on you. Believe that you can be and you already are the person your younger self dreamt of.”