Portrait of the first Vietnamese woman to fly into space

Proudly flying into space and sending greetings to Vietnam

On April 14, at the launch site in West Texas (USA), the New Shepard spacecraft of Blue Origin, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, successfully carried out the NS-31 mission, sending an all-female astronaut team into space.

Amanda Nguyen - founder of the Rise organization, famous civil rights activist and the first Vietnamese-American woman to fly into space - became the center of attention on the historic flight.

The capsule took six women across the Kármán line, a boundary that marks space at an altitude of more than 100 km above the ground. In the moment of experiencing weightlessness, Amanda Nguyen turned to the camera and said: "Hello Vietnam!".

"Short greeting, but carrying deep pride", the audience commented on Amanda Nguyen's Vietnamese greeting.

Attending the special flight, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US - Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung - directly presented a congratulatory letter fromPresident Luong Cuong to Amanda Nguyen.

Amanda Nguyen proudly says "Hello Vietnam" while experiencing zero gravity.

In the letter, the President expressed his joy, pride and commendation for the inspiring achievements of the Vietnamese-American woman in the United States. President Luong Cuong said that Amanda Nguyen's flight into space affirms the talent and intelligence of Vietnamese people in the United States and around the world .

The letter emphasized that the event has special symbolic significance for cultural and scientific cooperation between the two countries as it takes place on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations (1995-2025).

The President also appreciated Amanda's cooperation with the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) to bring 169 Vietnamese lotus seeds into space to serve research on plant growth in microgravity environments.

Carrying 169 Vietnamese lotus seeds into space was more than just a biological study. Amanda called it a “sacred ritual,” connecting herself to her roots. In a moment of zero gravity, she said goodbye to her homeland, as a Vietnamese.

“Today I’m flying into space. I want young Asian girls — especially Vietnamese girls — to know that they don’t have to give up any of their roots to reach for the stars,” Amanda said in an interview with Vanity Fair.

At the same time in Vietnam, US Ambassador Marc Knapper held a meeting with Lieutenant General Pham Tuan - the first Vietnamese person to fly into space, along with representatives of the Vietnam Space Center to monitor and record the historic moment. Amanda Nguyen became a symbolic bridge between two generations of Vietnamese people flying into space, from the past to the present.

On the NS-31 mission, Amanda brought two sacred keepsakes: the hospital bracelet from the day she was sexually assaulted, and a piece of paper with a promise to herself that she would pursue her dream of becoming an astronaut.

“This flight is not only about science, but also about healing. I thought my dream was dead. But here I am, in space, and I carry my past with me,” Amanda told Space.com .

Conquer the universe from pain

Before becoming the first Vietnamese-American woman to fly into space, Amanda Nguyen convinced America, becoming a symbol of women rising from the pain of overcoming sexual assault.

According to the Guardian, Amanda was sexually assaulted in 2013 while a student at Harvard University. After reporting the incident, she discovered that the legal system did not adequately protect victims' rights.

Her rape kit could be destroyed after six months if she doesn’t renew it. She says the process is complicated, opaque, and almost uninformed.

Not one to remain silent, Amanda decided to take action. She wrote and proposed the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2016.

This landmark legislation makes sweeping changes to the way the American justice system handles evidence and protects victims.

“After the attack, I fought not only for myself but for millions of others who have no voice. I screamed, and the world listened,” Amanda said in an interview with The Guardian.

After the law was enacted, Amanda continued to expand her influence with the nonprofit Rise , an international advocacy organization, pushing for the United Nations to adopt a Global Resolution on the Rights of Sexual Assault Victims in 2022.

She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, named Woman of the Year by TIME magazine, and appeared on Forbes' “30 under 30” list.

Amanda Nguyen is a testament to a woman's efforts for social and human rights activities.

“I never thought I would step up to the podium at the United Nations, but I did it with the heart of a survivor and the aspiration of a builder,” the astronaut said.

Along with her social activism, Amanda never gave up on her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. She interned at NASA and did research at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. In 2021, Amanda began training at the International Institute for Aerospace Sciences (IIAS) with a focus on women’s health in microgravity.

And Amanda did it, being recognized as the first Vietnamese woman to fly into space.

However, few people know that Amanda had a difficult childhood. She grew up in an immigrant family with a modest background. Fortunately, her parents taught her the importance of knowledge and gratitude.

Amanda says she learned to overcome adversity growing up in a small apartment in San Diego, facing racism and isolation. But it was also her difficult circumstances that led her to a strong desire.

“I want to turn pain into action, turn action into system, and turn system into legacy,” Amanda Nguyen told Vanity Fair.

Not only recognized for her social efforts, Amanda has also become a cultural icon praised by international media. The Guardian called her “a person who turned personal trauma into a global movement”, while InStyle described her as “a modern-day humanitarian warrior”.

In 2024, Amanda Nguyen released a memoir called Rise: A Survivor's Journey from Silence to Power. The book details Amanda Nguyen's journey from student who suffered from sexual abuse to leader of a global movement.

The book quickly became a bestseller in the US and is taught at many universities. Rise: A Survivor's Journey from Silence to Power is considered a document on trauma transformation and social leadership. In the book, Amanda shares a powerful message: "Every wound is an unwritten chapter. I write so that others can see themselves and be healed."

Overcoming the pain, Amanda Nguyen wrote a new chapter not only for herself. The journey into space reaffirmed Amanda's life motto and inspired many people: "The past does not define a person, it is how they choose to move forward that determines who you are."

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chan-dung-nguoi-phu-nu-goc-viet-dau-tien-bay-vao-vu-tru-post1734379.tpo