Crew Member Reveals Depression In the Wake of Deluge of Online Abuse After Historic Trip
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
Amanda Nguyen – known as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in April, which also carried celebrity crewmates.
The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who cited its expense and ecological impact.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, recalling a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the days following the flight.
She described the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy 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. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on gynecological science and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her scientific research and extensive preparation to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was overshadowed under the avalanche of gendered attacks.
She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of victims of sexual violence.
Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.
A Path to Recovery
In the time since achieving her goal, she has stated the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose kindness pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.
She concluded that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had resulted from the experience, such as increased focus on her women's health research 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 short trip that passed the edge of outer space.
The group of women also comprised leaders in different industries.
The enterprise behind the mission is a private space firm launched by a Amazon founder.