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Trigger Warning:This interview contains mentions of sexual assault.
ICYMI: The first-ever all-female commercial spaceflight just launched into space, and it was an awe-inspiring moment.
Courtesy of e.l.f. Cosmetics
Each of the six women aboard the historic Blue Origin NS-31 mission brought something different to the table.
As compelling as the entire mission is, Nguyen’s story, in particular, strikes a chord.
Keep reading for our conversation.
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“I had to [choose] between justice and my astronaut dreams.
So I traded my telescope and fought for these rights.”
You might think accomplishing such a feat would leave Nguyen feeling over the moon.
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for TIME
“The truth is, it felt awfullike a curse was breaking,” she says.
“There are words that have very positive connotations, like bravery and resilience.
That’s exactly what it felt like.
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I felt so betrayed by the criminal justice system.
And I am so grateful that this has been the outcome.”
“So, this moment feels really full circle for me.
I know it will be a really healing moment when I look out at Earth.”
Nguyen prepared for her spaceflight for months.
“So I went back to Harvard.
I went back to the hospital where I had the rape kit.
She notes a study that revealed only 2% of health funding goes toward women’s health research.
So, I am gathering data with the hypothesis that it will refute that.”
When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, bombs dropped down on Vietnam.
And now, half a century later, a Vietnamese woman is flying up," she says.
“To me, what that means is that we can make it.
We can defy the odds.
I might be the first, but I won’t be the last.”
“Whenever I travel, I carry thee.l.f.
Cosmetics Hydrating Camo Concealer, which she credits for making her look bright-eyed and space-ready.
Makeup-wise, she finds power in a bold red lip.
“I will be wearinge.l.f.
The things that women find joy in are often considered frivolous.
The same is not said of the things men find enjoyable.
Part of why Nguyen is such a big fan of beauty is because of how defiant it can be.
It looks different for different people.
That’s what I like.”
“I don’t have the mental capacity to be nervous,” she says.
“I am nervous that I’m not going to mix the cellulose viscosity correctly.
I am nervous [about] the data coming back outlike, did my Petri dishes survive?
That’s what I’m nervous about.
Nguyen credits her mother for her steadfast, goal-oriented mindset.
“The first person who taught me about courage was my mom.
She’s a boat refugee from Vietnam,” she shares.
“She was caught in a tidal wave storm, and her boat was sinking.
She told me that it looked like the sea could swallow anyone whole.
If you let go of the rope, you would die.
“We came on boats, and now we’re on spaceships,” she marvels.
It looks different for different people.”
“The reason I did that is because sometimes we feel isolated.
I know I did when I walked out of that hospital.
I felt so alonebut the truth is that we’re never really alone.
We have all these younger versions of ourselves that have lived so that we are where we are.
Q&a: how can medical science better serve women?| imperial news | imperial college london.
