Post-Flight with Katy Perry: Astronaut Opens Up About Depression - Amanda Nguyen becomes first Vietnamese in space amid triumph and turmoil

Amanda Nguyen made history on 14 April 2025 as the first Vietnamese person in space. She was part of the all-female Blue Origin crew, completing a mission that lasted just under eleven minutes. The flight added another milestone to her long list of achievements in activism and science. Nguyen is a scientist and human rights advocate known for her work with survivors of sexual violence. She founded the organisation Rise and drafted the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act. In 2019, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and in 2022, Time magazine named her Woman of the Year.

During the brief space mission, she conducted small health experiments for women. After returning, she faced intense online harassment and experienced depression. The criticism of the mission was harsh, with some calling it an environmental outrage, a marketing stunt, or a spectacle of feminism. Her condition was severe enough to prevent her from leaving Texas for a week. The Blue Origin flight marked a historic moment for Nguyen and the Vietnamese community. Despite the backlash and personal struggles that followed, her contributions to science and advocacy remain widely recognised. The mission highlighted both her resilience and the challenges of high-profile public endeavours.