First Vietnamese American woman in space Amanda Nguyen returns home: 'My roots are Vietnam'

Speaking at Fulbright University Vietnam's commencement ceremony on June 7 at Ho Chi Minh City's Reunification Hall, the 33-year-old social activist reflected on her historic April 14 suborbital flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The mission that lasted over 10 minutes launched from West Texas, with an all-female crew that included former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, singer Katy Perry, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and media executive Lauren Sánchez, Bezos's fiancée.

The crew reached the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, 100 kilometers (62 miles) above Earth, experienced weightlessness, and safely returned after 11 minutes, according to a Blue Origin livestream.

"No matter where I go on this planet, my roots are right here: Vietnam," Nguyen told the graduating class. "I rang the astronaut's bell before boarding the spacecraft and thought of Vietnam. I knew I was about to become the first Vietnamese woman in space, and I had to leave the door open for others to follow."

Nguyen carried 169 lotus seeds, the national flower of Vietnam, on the flight, a gesture made possible through collaboration with the Vietnam National Space Center and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. The seeds are expected to be used in post-flight research to examine how space travel affects plant growth.

From orbit, she sent a simple but stirring message home: "Hello Vietnam."

Her return to Vietnamese soil was marked by celebration and reflection. In her speech, Nguyen said she hoped her journey would inspire young Vietnamese, especially girls, to believe that the stars are within reach.

"I went to space so that Vietnamese girls can see themselves among the stars," she said. "Many people asked if I was afraid to sit on a rocket. But honestly, what scared me more was wondering how my homeland would receive my journey."

After returning to Earth, Nguyen received a letter of congratulations from Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, delivered through Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Nguyen Quoc Dung. The president praised her achievement as a testament to the talent and global contribution of Vietnamese people.

Though she holds uniforms bearing the American flag, Nguyen said she intentionally chose one without a national emblem for the flight. "I am a Vietnamese American," she said. "I wanted the world to see that our identity is not limited by borders."

Nguyen, born in the U.S. in 1991, is a Harvard University graduate who conducted research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is also a decorated advocate for sexual assault survivors and played a key role in shaping U.S. legislation to protect victims' rights. In 2019, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Her collaboration with Vietnam's space agencies, she said, reflects a broader mission.

"Vietnam is rich in talent and deserves global recognition. I wanted to showcase that on a stage as vast as space."