Astronaut Shares Emotional Distress In the Wake of Wave of Harassment After Historic Trip
A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.
Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in April, which also carried celebrity crewmates.
The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who cited its expense and carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the negative reaction overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the journey.
She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an barrage beyond typical human coping.
“I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed,” she wrote. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
Ms. Nguyen, who has conducted studies in female health science and performed experiments during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – from her studies and years of training to the personal milestone of her roots – was drowned out under the avalanche of gendered attacks.
She is most acclaimed for her pioneering work championing the cause of sexual assault survivors.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was put on hold after being assaulted during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
Finding Solid Ground
Months following fulfilling her dream, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You all saved me,” she wrote.
She concluded that despite the negativity, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the mission, including increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
The Historic Journey
The fully automated spacecraft lifted off from Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the edge of space.
The diverse crew also comprised accomplished professionals from different industries.
The enterprise behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company founded by a Amazon founder.
