Yesterday, bioastronautics researcher and civil rights activist, Amanda Nguyen, became the first Vietnamese woman to go to space, joining Blue Origin’s all-women crew for a flight that lasted a total of 10 minutes and 21 seconds. While the milestone was historic, the mission was met with backlash, with figures like Olivia Munn calling it “gluttonous” and out of touch.
Space tourism has long been met with criticism, and rightfully so. In an era marked by inequality and climate crisis, rocket launches backed by billionaires often feel like an exercise in ego more than progress. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is no exception.
And while there is validity to these critiques, two things can be true at once. Yes, we can certainly call out the ways space has become a playground for the ultra wealthy – and yes, we can celebrate the remarkable achievement of Amanda Nguyen, who defied immense personal, systemic, and cultural odds to take part in a mission that reflected both her advocacy and scientific work.
“When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, bombs rained down on Vietnam. When my family looked at the sky, they saw death. But tomorrow when they look at the sky, they’ll see the first Vietnamese woman in space,” Amanda told CBS News.
While most headlines spotlighted Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez as part of a ‘hyper elitist crew’ going into space, Amanda Nguyen’s more purposeful involvement in the mission received far less attention.
Nguyen is not a celebrity passenger seeking zero-gravity thrills. She is a bioastronautics research scientist with a background in astrophysics from Harvard. On top of that, she is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and the architect behind the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation passed unanimously by the U.S. Congress in 2016. Through her nonprofit, Rise, she has helped inspire similar laws across the globe, including the historic UN resolution recognising survivors of sexual violence which was passed in 2022.
Nguyen’s place on the Blue Origin flight came from being qualified, and was sponsored by Space for Humanity, a nonprofit working to democratise access to space. While the mission featured multiple accomplished women – including Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist and aerospace entrepreneur – Nguyen stood out not just for her identity, but for her intentions.
She used her time in space to conduct scientific research, including an experiment on women’s health in microgravity, aligning the journey with her lifelong belief in science as a tool for equity and justice. Her participation marked another historic first: Nguyen became the first Vietnamese American woman to travel to space, honouring her refugee heritage and challenging the idea of who belongs in STEM.
Nguyen’s work has always transcended categories. She is a Harvard-educated physicist who interned at NASA and studied human spaceflight simulations, a civil rights advocate who turned her own experience as a survivor into a national law, and global changemaker, named to TIME 100, Forbes 30 Under 30, and Glamour Woman of the Year.
Celebrating Amanda Nguyen’s spaceflight undoubtedly comes with a bit of tension. Her historic achievement is tied to a mission funded by Jeff Bezos, a billionaire whose ventures into space tourism have often been criticised as indulgent, privileged and problematic.
It’s understandable that many are wary of glorifying what appears to be a joyride for the elite, especially when launched against a backdrop of global inequality. But Amanda’s presence complicates that narrative. She didn’t buy her way onto the rocket. She earned her place through a lifetime of scientific and social impact, and she used the opportunity to advance research and visibility for communities often left out of both STEM and space.
Her association with a billionaire-funded mission doesn’t erase the significance of what she represents – in fact, it raises the important question about how meaningful progress can still emerge within imperfect systems.
Feature image: Amanda Ngyuen. Credit: Blue Origin.
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