Amanda Nguyen, a 32-year-old Vietnamese American, will be flying to space aboard American aerospace company Blue Origin’s upcoming launch on the New Shepard rocket, becoming the first woman of Vietnamese origin to fly to space.

However, no information about Blue Origin’s next launch on the New Shepard has been revealed.

Nguyen’s journey is part of the Citizen Astronaut Program sponsored by American non-profit organization Space for Humanity, the organization announced early this week.

The program aims to empower each citizen astronaut to address global challenges with a broader outlook.

Executive director of Space for Humanity Antonio Peronace expressed his pride in teaming up with and supporting Nguyen's journey to space, saying that her novel voyage will represent a shining example to countless others.

"I am thrilled to be partnered with Space for Humanity, not just for their support, but also their vision and values. Together, we're committed to changing the way we all think about the cosmos, each other, and humanity's future. I look forward to my journey to space as well as our continued journey to a brighter and better future," said Amanda Nguyen.

Amanda Nguyen, graduated from Harvard University and interned at NASA in 2013. She used to work at the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian.

In 2014, she founded RISE—a non-governmental civil rights organization that is dedicated to protecting the civil rights of sexual assault and rape survivors. She is also known for her advocacy for Asian American rights.

She was raped while attending college in Massachusetts, so she helped draft the sexual assault survivors’ rights act, which was signed into law in 2016 by the then President Barack Obama.

Amanda Nguyen was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and honored as the Woman of the Year in 2022 by Time Magazine.

Nguyen said in a video on the Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi that “I am Vietnamese. I’m flying to space so that young Vietnamese women can see themselves among the stars.

“I might be the first [woman of Vietnamese origin to fly to space], but will not definitely be the last one."

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!