A non-report as a path to achieving a dream. That’s how the professional journey of Amanda Nguyen, the first Vietnamese woman to travel to space, begins.
The daughter of Vietnamese refugees in the United States, Amanda loved gazing at the stars whenever she could, especially before stepping into her house. It was her way of seeking refuge in that glittering infinity, an escape from the painful reality she faced alongside her mother: an abusive and violent father. From that admiration and passion for the cosmos, a deep love for astronomy was born, one that would eventually lead her to study Astrophysics at Harvard.
However, in 2013, just three months before graduation, the girl who dreamed of becoming an astronaut or a CIA spy found her aspirations shattered. She was raped at a fraternity party – known as social events organized by fraternities and sororities, common on many U.S. college campuses.
Following the assault, Nguyen was taken to the hospital, where DNA samples were collected. These could be submitted for forensic analysis, either anonymously or under her name, depending on her consent. Amanda chose to remain anonymous. She was aware that both NASA and the CIA conduct thorough background checks on applicants, and in Massachusetts, victims can press charges up to 15 years after the incident. Moreover, DNA analysis could cost up to $5,000, money that, if not paid promptly, would destroy the evidence. The judicial process could take two to three years to conclude.
TURNING PAIN INTO POWER
Feeling that the system was stacked against her, as she later told The Guardian, Amanda immersed herself in her studies. It was her only hope of achieving everything she had always dreamed of and a way to prove her strength in the face of the violence she had endured.
Her resilience made her one of the leading activists for the rights of sexual assault survivors in the U.S. and beyond. In 2014, she founded Rise, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for and supporting survivors of sexual violence.
In 2016, she drafted the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act, which was signed into law by Barack Obama that same year. The legislation ensures:
- The preservation of evidence, requiring that forensic rape kits be maintained for the duration of the statute of limitations, and that survivors be notified before any disposal;
- Protection against discrimination, especially in employment and education;
- Access to trauma recovery resources, including shelter and psychological services;
- And that survivors are not burdened with the cost of medical examinations.
In 2019, Nguyen was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of its Women of the Year, and the United Nations endorsed her cause by adopting a resolution establishing guidelines for handling evidence in sexual violence cases across member states.
In 2025, she published her memoir, Saving Five, and finally fulfilled her dream of reaching space, joining the first all-women space crew since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963.
The space mission she participated in, NS-31, also included singer Katy Perry, TV host Gayle King, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, and journalist Lauren Sánchez.
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The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.
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