Amanda Nguyen, who transformed personal trauma into landmark legislation for sexual assault survivors, now has her sights set on making history among the stars as the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman in space.
Appearing on “CBS Mornings” on Thursday, Nguyen said she is not afraid about her upcoming Blue Origin flight.
“I really think back to my family and how they were refugees in Vietnam. If they could go through that journey, I can go through this, too,” she said.
Nguyen will join a historic all-female crew that includes “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King, pop star Katy Perry, philanthropist Lauren Sanchez, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe and producer Kerrianne Flynn. During the mission, Nguyen plans to conduct two science experiments — one in partnership with the Vietnamese National Space Center and another focused on women’s health.
“Women were barred from becoming astronauts at NASA early on because of menstruation. They didn’t have the data to back that up,” Nguyen explained.
She is also celebrating the launch of her newly released memoir “Saving Five,” which is written from the perspective of different ages of herself, addressing her 5-year-old, 22-year-old, 30-year-old selves and beyond.
“I picked 5-year-old and 80-year-old because really I think the purpose in our lives is to live out our full potential and to make ourselves proud,” Nguyen said. “Truly what I want people to know is that their dreams matter and can still come true.”
Nguyen discussed how she put her dreams on hold after experiencing sexual assault, choosing to pursue justice rather than her career. She subsequently drafted the Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights, which was passed unanimously by chambers of Congress.
The legislation she championed extended the preservation period for rape kits, which were previously destroyed after just six months in Massachusetts and 30 days in New York.
“After ten years of fighting for my rights, I finally get to honor the person that I was before I was hurt,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen’s memoir, “Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope,” is available now wherever books are sold.