Space Traveler Reveals Depression After ‘Tsunami of Online Abuse Post-Spaceflight
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.
Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission in April, which also featured well-known figures.
The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, describing a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the period after the journey.
She portrayed the press attention and digital reaction as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she wrote. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
The researcher, who has conducted studies in gynecological science and operated research during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her lab work and astronaut training to the historic significance of her roots – was drowned out under the tide of misogyny.
She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of survivors of assault.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after being assaulted during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
Finding Solid Ground
In the time since fulfilling her dream, she noted the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she thanked the followers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.
She concluded that amid the criticism, important benefits had come out of the flight, such as spotlight on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders.
Flight Details
The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket departed Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that passed the internationally recognized boundary of space.
The team of pioneers also included leaders in various fields.
The enterprise behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
