Crew Member Shares Mental Health Struggle In the Wake of Deluge of Online Abuse After Historic Trip
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also included celebrity crewmates.
The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, referring to a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the days following the flight.
She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she confessed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
The researcher, who has focused her career on women's health research and conducted tests during the mission, said all her lifelong efforts – from her lab work and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her background – was buried under the deluge of misogyny.
She is widely recognized for her pioneering work fighting for justice for sexual assault survivors.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was put on hold after surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a protracted legal battle.
Finding Solid Ground
Now, eight months after reaching space, she has stated the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the supporters whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.
She concluded that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had come out of the experience, such as spotlight on her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
The Historic Journey
The self-operating New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that crossed the Kármán line of space.
The diverse crew also featured leaders in various fields.
The company behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company launched by a well-known tech mogul.
