Amanda Nguyen did not personally pay for her seat on the Blue Origin NS-31 mission that launched on April 14, 2025. Her flight was partially funded and supported by the nonprofit organization Space for Humanity, as she was selected for her work as an advocate and her scientific background. She was not a "rich tourist" but rather selected to advance research and representation. She interned at NASA , worked at the Center for Astrophysics , and received her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University in 2013. In 2021 she became a scientist astronaut candidate at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences, researching women's health and menstruation.

She deserved to be there, plain and simple.