Amanda Nguyen, 32, a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee in 2019, will become the first Vietnamese woman to fly into space during the next launch of the New Shepard rocket by Blue Origin, the aerospace company.
Amanda Nguyen’s journey into space is part of the Citizen Astronaut Program organized by the nonprofit Space For Humanity, according to information shared by the organization on March 25.
Amanda Nguyen, 32, will become the first Vietnamese woman to travel to space – (Photo: PR NEWS WIRE/AMANDA NGUYEN).
The program aims to “empower citizen astronauts to address global challenges with a broader vision,” according to Next Shark.
Antonio Peronace, the CEO of Space For Humanity, expressed pride in collaborating and supporting Amanda Nguyen’s journey into space.
“Amanda’s special journey will serve as a shining example and inspire others,” he stated.
Details about the next launch of the New Shepard rocket have not yet been released.
Amanda Nguyen during a space training activity – (Photo: INSTAGRAM AMANDA NGOC NGUYEN).
Amanda Nguyen, a 32-year-old Vietnamese American, graduated from Harvard University and interned at NASA in 2013. She also worked at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. In 2014, she founded RISE, a nonprofit organization representing the rights of sexual assault survivors across the United States. She is also known as an advocate for Asian American rights. Having been a victim of sexual assault herself, she drafted and lobbied for legislation on behalf of victims like herself. Former U.S. President Barack Obama signed the implementation of Amanda’s bill in October 2016, after it was approved by Congress. Due to her relentless efforts, Amanda Nguyen was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and was named Time magazine’s Woman of the Year in 2022. |
“I am Vietnamese. I fly into space so that young Vietnamese girls can see themselves among the stars. It is important that I can bring the community along with me. I may be the first, but I will not be the last,” Amanda Nguyen shared in a video on the Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.
