Space Traveler Discloses Emotional Distress Following ‘Tsunami of Backlash Post-Spaceflight
A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her battle with depression after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission.
Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in the spring, which also featured celebrity crewmates.
The mission was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, recalling a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the landing.
She described the press attention and digital reaction as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on gynecological science and operated research during the flight, said every professional achievement – from her scientific research and astronaut training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was overshadowed under the avalanche of gendered attacks.
She is best known for her tireless campaigning championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after an attack during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.
Finding Solid Ground
Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she reports that the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose kindness pulled her through. “You all saved me,” she wrote.
She added that even with the backlash, important benefits had resulted from the mission, including spotlight on her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
Flight Details
The computer-piloted spacecraft departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that crossed the Kármán line of outer space.
The group of women also included experts in different industries.
The venture behind the flight is a private space firm established by a Amazon founder.