Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen reflect on life-changing Blue Origin spaceflight
"When you look out the window, you don't see any borders, you don't see any boundaries. You just see beauty," Bowe said during a post-flight interview Tuesday. "It's stunning, and it also has like a feel to it, like it's almost like you can feel the living life force and it was just so beautiful. It's impossible to go through this and not come out changed."
Bowe joined "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King, pop superstar Katy Perry, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez—who is also the fiancée of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos—on the company's historic all-women spaceflight.
Bowe, an aerospace engineer and entrepreneur who became the first person of Bahamian heritage to travel to space, described conducting research during the flight, where she said she was looking at the future of being able to produce crops that can withstand harsh environments.
The flight appeared to inspire future generations as well. Bowe shared a story about a 6-year-old girl named Sophia who witnessed the launch and afterward declared to Bowe that she wants to go to space and help protect Earth.
"That," Bowe concluded, "is why we're here."
Amanda Nguyen reveals the powerful keepsake she carried to space
Amanda Nguyen, a rape survivor who transformed personal trauma into landmark legislation when she drafted the Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights, carried a decade-old handwritten note reading "Never never never give up" aboard the Blue Origin capsule.
Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman in space during the flight, explained that she wrote the note to herself after undergoing a rape kit procedure at a hospital.
"It's a piece of paper that I taped to look at as I was determined to graduate Harvard, it was the same piece of paper that I looked at when I was fighting for my rights in Congress and the United Nations, and it was the same piece of paper that I held on to and looked at over Earth," she said.
She said the moment above Earth marked her "full circle healing journey" after postponing her astronaut dreams to fight for survivors of sexual violence.
"To me, that moment was my full circle healing journey, one that I hope any survivor, or just anyone whose ever had a dream deferred, can know that you will heal, you will make it through, and your miracle is just around the corner," Nguyen told "CBS Mornings."
The civil rights activist, whose call sign during the mission was "Astronaut Dragon," chose "justice" as her personal theme for the journey. Following her own sexual assault, Nguyen fought against the practice of destroying rape kits and successfully advocated for the Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights, which was signed into federal law in 2016 and has inspired similar legislation in states across the country.
"Justice to me comes in different forms, and for my personal journey, justice was about going to space," Nguyen said. "For a decade, I gave up my astronaut dreams in order to fight for the rights of gender-based violence survivors."
Nguyen's family history added particular significance to her journey. Her parents were boat refugees from Vietnam.
"They swam so I can fly, crossed the ocean so I can touch the sky," Nguyen said, adding that her aunt, also a boat refugee, was the first person she hugged after touchdown. "She came on boats, and now we're on spaceships."
Beyond the personal milestone, Nguyen conducted scientific research during her brief time in microgravity. "One of the greatest joys that I have from this whole experience is being able to operate my science missions in microgravity and I'm just so so excited about how this research can help women's health in the future," she said.
Following the flight, Nguyen plans to show her flight suit to girls in Vietnam.
Savannah Bananas pack stadiums with their zany twist on baseball | 60 Minutes
Watch: Blue Origin's first all-women flight crew launches to space
Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigning against Trump policies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NASA's X-59 moves under its own power
July 22 (UPI) -- NASA's quest for a quieter supersonic jet passed an early test after its X-59 aircraft was able to taxi at low speed at a manufacturing plant in California. The space agency on Tuesday announced the latest milestone for NASA's X-59 that is part of its Quesst mission to test the possibility of a supersonic aircraft with more muted sonic booms that will allow less noisy flights over populated areas. The X-59 was able to move under its own power during the test that took place last week, taxiing across the runway at the U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. As the aircraft taxied, engineers and flight crews observed the X-59 to evaluate its steering, braking and other important functions. The test was one of the final hurdles for the X-59 before its first flight, according to the agency. NASA engineers began test-firing the single-engine experimental aircraft at a Lockheed Martin facility last fall to see if its systems are functional. NASA plans to fly the X-59 between residential areas in 2026 and ask residents about the noise it produces while exceeding the speed of sound. If the X-59 works as intended it will produce a soft thud instead of the loud booms associated with sonic aircrafts. The aircraft has no windshield because its pilot can't see over it, as well as delta-shaped wings with a span of 29.5 feet and has a maximum takeoff weight of 32,300 pounds -- lighter than many commercial planes. Following the successful test, NASA engineers will gradually increase the X-59's taxing speed stopping short of where it would take off, according to the agency. Data from the X-59 will be shared with U.S. and international regulators to develop new regulations on noise threshold for commercial supersonic land flights.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows Where Millions Can See International Space Station on Thursday
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Millions of Americans and Canadians will have a chance to see the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday night as it cuts a path across North America. Why It Matters The ISS orbits Earth and houses astronauts and a research laboratory for experiments in microgravity. The ISS is maintained by NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. It travels at about 17,500 mph and completes an orbit around Earth every 90 minutes. What To Know At times, the ISS is visible from the U.S. as it orbits Earth. The next chance Americans will have at sighting the space station will be Thursday night as it cuts from Northwest Canada through parts of the Northeastern U.S. in a span of a few minutes. "The International Space Station is visible because it reflects sunlight—the same reason we can see the Moon," a NASA webpage about the ISS says. "However, unlike the Moon, the space station is not bright enough to see during the day. Viewing opportunities can range from one a month to several a week as the light from the Sun reflects off station as it passes overhead at dawn and dusk at the user's preferred location." No equipment will be needed to view the ISS as it passes over the U.S., as it is visible to the naked eye. Millions of Americans outside the ISS' direct path also will have a chance to see it. A map from AccuWeather shows the planned path of the ISS. Shortly after 9:25 p.m. ET, the ISS will travel from Canada into New York, where it will continue its southeastern path for hardly more than a minute before it exits over the Atlantic Ocean. A map from AccuWeather shows where the ISS will be visible on July 24, 2025. A map from AccuWeather shows where the ISS will be visible on July 24, 2025. AccuWeather The timeline is as follows: 9:22-9:25 p.m. ET: The ISS will be traveling southeast over Ontario, Canada. The ISS will be traveling southeast over Ontario, Canada. 9:25-9:26 p.m. ET: The ISS will travel over Northern New York, Southern Vermont, far Southwestern New Hampshire and through Massachusetts to exit over the Atlantic Ocean. The ISS will travel over Northern New York, Southern Vermont, far Southwestern New Hampshire and through Massachusetts to exit over the Atlantic Ocean. 9:27-9:29 p.m. ET: The ISS will continue its path over the Atlantic Ocean. Anyone within the viewing circle will be able to see the space station if weather conditions are right, meaning millions as far south as Georgia up through Maine and Michigan will have a chance at spotting the ISS. The ISS is bright enough that people can spot it even in large cities with light pollution. However, cloudy conditions could disrupt the viewing in some areas. "It looks like there could be some clouds on the western side of that near the Great Lakes, so Wisconsin, the Toronto area," AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva told Newsweek. "Those areas I'm a little worried there could be some clouds in the way." People further east in Southeastern Ohio, Pennsylvania and Western New York will have the best chance to view the ISS. All ISS viewings occur a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. The ISS includes six sleeping areas, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree-view bay window, NASA says in a webpage. It orbits earth 16 times in 24 hours, "traveling through 16 sunrises and sunsets." What People Are Saying AccuWeather posted on X on Thursday morning: "The International Space Station [ISS] will fly over the eastern United States and parts of Canada just after sunset on Thursday evening, an easy-to-see event for millions of residents across the region." NASA in a webpage about the ISS: "The acre of solar panels that power the station means sometimes you can look up in the sky at dawn or dusk and see the spaceship flying over your home, even if you live in a big city." What Happens Next NASA suggests people who want a chance to view the ISS when it passes over the U.S. to download Spot the Station, a mobile app that notifies users about potential ISS viewings.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trump says he wants Elon Musk to 'THRIVE' after threatening his subsidies
Elon Musk's companies have benefited from government contracts, including SpaceX through its relationships with the Pentagon and NASA. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says he does not want to ruin billionaire advisor Elon Musk's businesses by taking away federal subsidies after recently threatening the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency. 'Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon's companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government,' Trump wrote in a July 24 Truth Social post. 'This is not so! I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before! The better they do, the better the USA does, and that's good for all of us. We are setting records every day, and I want to keep it that way!' Musk's companies have benefited from billions of dollars in U.S. government contracts over the past two decades, including SpaceX through its relationships with the Department of Defense and NASA. In all, Musk and his businesses have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits, often at critical moments, a Washington Post analysis found. Trump's latest remarks come after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing on July 23 that she does not think the president supports federal agencies contracting with Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, which developed the chatbot Grok. xAI recently announced a $200 million contract with the Department of Defense. The two men had a dramatic falling out over Trump's signature tax and domestic policy law, with Musk blasting it as a 'disgusting abomination' that would only add to the growing deficit. In July, Trump threatened to have DOGE review the billions of dollars' worth of contracts that Musk's companies receive. "Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa," Trump wrote in a 12:44 a.m. July 1 post on Truth Social. "No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!" Musk, who was co-leader of DOGE, responded shortly afterward, saying, "I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now." Musk had warned Tesla investors on July 23 that U.S. government cuts in support for electric vehicle makers could lead to a "few rough quarters" for the company. Contributing: Reuters, Joey Garrison
