'Only one who deserved it': How rape survivor became part of all-woman space crew
Users across the world took to social media to express their reactions as an all-woman crew roared to space on one of billionaire Jeff Bezos' rockets. With the crew including pop star Katy Perry and Bezos' fiancee Lauren Sanchez, the flight brought the passengers beyond the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.
The 10-minute flight drew flak from social media users who pointed out the environmental impact of the trip, along with the discrepancy of celebrating women going to space while the needs of women in underprivileged communities, including access to education, sanitary products, remain unfulfilled in many ways.
While Katy Perry faced the brunt of criticism, audiences also praised one particular member in the crew. Amanda Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, had initially delayed her astronaut dreams to fight for sexual assault survivors' rights.
Her advocacy for survivors came in the aftermath of a heinous crime, when she was raped at a frat party during her senior year in 2013. Nguyen was determined to make the law more supportive for survivors, and she bravely put her astronaut dreams on hold for 10 years.
Nguyen was a student at Harvard University in pursuit of a career at either Nasa or the CIA. She had been studying astrophysics at the college, had interned at Nasa at 18 years old, and had previously helped the agency develop a Kepler exoplanet-hunting space telescope. She was also a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.
With survivors having to pay for their rape kits which would be destroyed in six months, Nguyen went through a trying time, leading her to recognise the trauma of fellow survivors; she heard multiple stories of courage and survival.
Nguyen put all her dreams on hold, and worked on drafting a bill to the Congress. In a landmark decision, the act passed unanimously, and was named the "Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act," which entitles survivors to free medical exams, mandates that forensic evidence be kept for at least the statute of limitations on rape, and provides the option of extending that timeline in certain circumstances.
According to UK media, the senior counsel from the Senate judiciary suggested calling it Amanda's Law, but Nguyen wanted it to represent all survivors.
Now, in 2025, Nguyen stepped off a vessel by Blue Origin, rejoicing as she returned to Earth after a brief journey to space. Having fought for women all her life, placing the push for change above her own dreams, she was "the only one who deserved this trip," multiple social media users commented on Nguyen's page.
Some commenters highlighted the lack of awareness about Nguyen's struggle, saying: "I was there was more media coverage on you & why you, specifically, earned your rightful place in visiting space. From 1 SA survivor to another, I'm just very proud of you."
However, not all social media users were in praise, with some maintaining that her journey to space should have been for exploration, and "not commercial."
Even in space, she continued her fight for survivors' and women's rights. The two zero-G indicators – the object that indicates the start of a gravity-less environment – included a note she'd written to herself promising to return to astronaut dreams, and a hospital band from when she was given a rape kit.
Nguyễn, who is also a bioastronautics research scientist, even brought a few in-orbit projects to conduct during the short flight.
One of those experiments involves testing material for wound dressing in microgravity; better absorption technology would make it possible for engineers to create space-friendly pads or tampons for women astronauts who menstruate.
Nguyen is born to refugee parents who made their way on a boat, using only the stars as guidance. In a touching video, her mom became emotional as she looked at the same skies, years later, to see her daughter breaking both the sound barriers, and the glass ceiling. Watch the video below:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Amanda Nguye��n (@amandangocnguyen)
The young astronaut did not forget her roots; once in space, she shared an inspiring message for young Vietnamese girls. "While I may be the first, I am not the last," she said in a video shared on Instagram. Watch it below:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Amanda Nguye��n (@amandangocnguyen)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Asteroid once feared to be hitting Earth now more likely to strike Moon in 2032
An asteroid that was briefly feared to be on a collision course with Earth is now more likely to strike the Moon in 2032, according to updated calculations by Nasa. Astronomers have refined the orbit of asteroid 2024 YR4 using data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope, revealing a slightly higher probability that the space rock could crash into the Moon's surface. The asteroid, about 80 metres wide, was discovered in late 2024 and initially appeared on Nasa's risk list for colliding with the Earth. More observations, however, have ruled out a direct hit. Latest calculations show that there is a 4.3 per cent chance the asteroid will strike the Moon on December 22, 2032. 'While asteroid 2024 YR4 is currently too distant to detect with telescopes from Earth, Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope collected one more observation of the asteroid before it escaped from view in its orbit around the Sun,' the agency said. Even if the asteroid were to collide with the Moon, it would have no effect on its orbit or stability, Nasa said. 'Unprecedented opportunity' Dr Dimitra Atri, principal investigator at New York University Abu Dhabi's Space Exploration Laboratory, said the probability of impact was 'relatively low', but a collision would give researchers 'an unprecedented scientific opportunity'. 'For the first time, we could observe the formation of a major lunar crater in real time using modern orbital instruments,' he said. 'Such an event would open possibilities for follow-up exploration. Rovers or astronauts could investigate the fresh impact site, yielding invaluable data about how impacts have shaped not only the Moon, but planetary surfaces throughout the solar system.' The Moon's heavily cratered surface is largely the result of asteroid and meteorite impacts over billions of years, but all those collisions happened before the age of space flight. A new impact, and one that can be observed and studied from start to finish, could reveal how craters evolve, how subsurface materials are exposed and help scientists test planetary defence strategies. A complex orbital path Jonathan Ward, a fellow of the UK's Royal Astronomical Society, said the orbital path of 2024 YR4 was still not fully understood due to factors such as the Yarkovsky effect, a force caused by the way an asteroid absorbs sunlight and radiates heat, altering its trajectory over time. 'We won't know anything better about its potential for an impact in 2032 until it comes back by the Earth in 2028,' Mr Ward said. Researchers were using the JWST to track the asteroid because it uses infrared wavelengths to detect heat signatures. But now telescopes have lost sight of the space rock as it moves behind the Sun. Mr Ward said the 2028 fly-by will be a critical opportunity to track the asteroid's position with greater precision and determine if any further course changes are likely. Could a deflection mission be possible? While there is no threat to Earth, the asteroid has renewed discussions about planetary defence, particularly following the success of Nasa's Dart mission in 2022, which intentionally slammed a spacecraft into an asteroid to chance its trajectory. 'A mission like Dart takes three to five years to prepare and launch,' Mr Ward said. 'If it ever became necessary, that gives us some time to act after the 2028 observations. 'But we still don't know the full make-up of this asteroid. It's likely a stony object, unlike Dimorphos, which was more of a rubble pile. That affects how it might respond to an impact.' Looking ahead to 2028 Nasa confirmed that no additional observations of the asteroid are expected until 2028, when it returns closer towards Earth. The asteroid is expected to pass at a safe distance, giving astronomers the best chance yet to determine whether a Moon impact in 2032 is possible.
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Sun unleashes powerful flares as it approaches its most active phase
The Sun has been unusually active this past week, sending out powerful bursts of energy known as solar flares, which have disrupted radio signals and created stunning auroras across parts of North America and Europe. Scientists say this is a sign that the Sun is nearing the peak of its natural 11-year cycle, known as the solar maximum, which had been forecast to take place in July. In recent days, the Sun has emitted several strong flares and enormous clouds of charged particles known as coronal mass ejections. One particularly powerful flare on June 17, classified as X-class, the strongest type, caused brief radio blackouts in North America, with warnings issued for satellites and astronauts in orbit. The Sun unleashed an even stronger X1.9-class flare on June 19, causing radio blackouts over parts of the US and Pacific region. As the Sun nears solar maximum, there is an increase in sunspots and energy bursts that can sometimes be directed towards Earth. Katepalli Raju Sreenivasan, a scientist at New York University Abu Dhabi, said that while solar activity is expected to peak sometime in the next few months, 'no one knows exactly when'. 'It is not going to be especially violent activity this year, so I don't expect any unprecedented damage to Earth's communication infrastructure,' he told The National. 'But I should also say that what matters to us is not necessarily the magnitude of the solar activity but whether one or two of the highly energetic emissions from the Sun reach the Earth. Most, of course, pass by without any effect.' Most of the time, these events do indeed miss Earth or only cause minor effects. But when a strong burst of solar energy is aimed directly at the planet, it can trigger geomagnetic storms, which are powerful disturbances that impact satellites, radio communication, GPS and power grids. Dr Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, a space scientist at the University of Michigan, explained the science behind it. 'Solar activity peaks at the solar max because of the increasing number of active spots on the Sun, which are associated with strong releases of magnetic and charged particle energies into the interplanetary environment,' he said. While this can cause disruptions to technology, it also leads to one of the most beautiful natural phenomena – Northern and Southern Lights, or Aurora. 'On the bright side, increased geo-effective phenomena means more chances of observing the mesmerising Northern Lights over the next couple of years,' he said. 'On the other side, heightened geo-effective space weather threatens our technological civilisation, from space-borne assets and the life of astronauts in orbit due to increased space radiation levels, as well as ground-based technologies including communication and power grid platforms due to increased electromagnetic disturbances.' A reminder from history Solar storms have affected Earth in the past. The most powerful on record took place in 1859, known as the Carrington Event, which disrupted telegraph systems and lit up skies around the world with bright auroras. If a storm of that magnitude happened today, it could severely damage satellites, knock out internet and GPS systems and disrupt power supplies in major cities. In 1989, a solar storm caused a blackout for six million people in Quebec, Canada. In 2003, a series of flares damaged satellites and forced airlines to reroute flights away from polar regions due to radiation risks. Watching the Sun closely To stay prepared, space agencies such as Nasa and the European Space Agency are using satellites to monitor the Sun around the clock. Missions s the Parker Solar Probe and Soho (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) help scientists understand what is coming and give warning before a storm hits Earth. Nasa's Parker Solar Probe became the first human-made object to 'touch the Sun', when it flew through the sun's upper atmosphere to sample particles and magnetic fields in 2021. It beat its own record in 2024 when it made another close approach to the Sun, reaching 6.1 million kilometres from the Sun's surface. The spacecraft also achieved a record-breaking speed of 692,000 kilometres per hour during this fly-by.
UAE Moments
3 days ago
- UAE Moments
SpaceX Starship Ship 36 Explodes Before Flight Test
SpaceX was set to perform a static fire test of Ship 36 before its planned 10th flight test for its Starship; however, a massive explosion at the Massey's Testing Center site disrupted SpaceX's plans on Wednesday, June 18. 'A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,' SpaceX said in a statement. According to SpaceX, there were no hazards to residents in the area, which is located in Starbase, Texas. The fire continued for two hours after the initial explosion, according to live camera feeds from NASA Spaceflight and LabPadre. The explosion occurred before the start of the static fire and thirty minutes after the propellant load sequence started. The cause of the explosion and the extent of the possible damage are unknown; however, it follows explosions during the seventh, eighth, and ninth Starship flight tests earlier this year. The Brownsville Fire Department crews responded to the incident, according to KRGV news. Fox News reported that the authorities ensured that there were no injuries during the incident. If the explosion had not occurred, the flight test would have continued using SpaceX's 'V2' Starship design. SpaceX is also preparing a V3 design, which is targeting a rate of launching once a week in about 12 months. This article was previously published on omanmoments. To see the original article, click here
