Space News: Amanda Nguyen’s Emotions as the First South Asian Woman in Space

Amanda Nguyen could not stop her tears as she looked out the spacecraft window at Earth below her. The blue and green planet seemed small enough to hold in her hands. At the same time, it was not just the view that made her cry. It was knowing she had just made history as the first South Asian woman to travel to space, and this is incredible space news.

 Dreams From Her Backyard

“I used to lie on the grass with my dad when I was little”, the astronaut says, “who would point out stars and tell me stories about the universe. That is when I first thought, I want to go there someday.”

Growing up in a family with a Vietnamese and Indian background, she often heard different guesses about her future. Her grandmother hoped she would become a doctor. Her parents wanted her to have a stable job. Still, the future Vietnamese woman astronaut could not give up her space dreams.

Amanda Nguyen kept a notebook filled with rocket drawings and stories about planets. Her high school science teacher, Ms. Rodriguez, noticed her passion and encouraged her.

“Ms. Rodriguez was the first person who did not laugh when I said I wanted to be an astronaut”  remembers. “She actually said, ‘Well, why not you?’”

The Tough Way to the Dream

Getting to space was not an easy thing to do. Amanda Nguyen education took day and night to earn top grades. She applied to MIT and got in, but even there, some people doubted her.

“A professor once told me that maybe space was not for ‘people like me,’” she says. “I went home and cried that night. Then I woke up the next morning and worked two times harder.”

After college, a young woman joined NASA’s astronaut program. The training pushed her body to its limits because she had to learn to walk in a heavy spacesuit underwater. She practised emergency drills until they became second nature, and flew in planes that created the feeling of zero gravity. Through it all, Amanda Nguyen made friends with other astronauts who supported her when times got tough.

She Carried Others’ Hopes

What is Amanda Nguyen famous for? She is obviously the first female astronaut, but there is one more important thing she is known for. As her launch date got closer, Amanda started getting messages from strangers. South Asian girls from around the world sent her letters and emails.

“One girl wrote, ‘When I see you, I see me,’” she says, her voice soft with emotion. “That is when I realised this was not just my journey anymore.”

The night before the launch, Amanda Nguyen took a quiet moment to honour her heritage. She did a simple prayer ritual her grandmother had taught her. It helped her to calm down and reminded her of where she came from.

How Does It Feel in Zero Gravity?

When the rocket engines started, Amanda Nguyen felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest because the force pushed her deep into her seat. Then suddenly, everything went quiet, and she felt that she was floating. Later, the astronaut shared that it was the strangest feeling because things did not fall down when her brain expected them to.

However, the biggest surprise was not the physical feeling of space. It was how seeing Earth from above changed her mind and heart.

“From up there, you do not see borders or countries”, Amanda Nguyen explains. “You just see one beautiful planet that we all share. I wish everyone could see that view because it might change how we treat each other.”

During her three months in space, the first female Vietnamese astronaut worked on growing plants in zero gravity. She hopes her research will someday help grow food in places suffering from drought.

Bringing Space Back Home

After returning to Earth, Amanda Nguyen started visiting schools to share her story. She created a program called “Stellar Minds” to help kids from all backgrounds pursue science and space careers. Since her flight, more South Asian girls have been signing up for space camps and science programs. Teachers report that girls often mention Amanda Nguyen’s life when talking about their dreams.

What Will Amanda Nguyen Do Next?

These days, Amanda Nguyen keeps working at NASA, and she also speaks to groups around the country. The female astronaut is also writing a book about her experiences to inspire young people to follow their dreams.

Did Amanda Nguyen win a Nobel Prize? She was nominated for it in 2019, but she did not get it. Despite that, she is a significant person because her story reminds us that the greatest journeys are about breaking through so others can follow.

Has someone like Amanda Nguyen inspired you to chase a dream that seemed impossible? Share your story, and we would love to hear how you are reaching for your own stars!

Author: Emma Thorpe