Crew Member Discloses Depression In the Wake of Deluge of Backlash Post-Spaceflight
A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after enduring 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 brief journey to space in April, which also featured celebrity crewmates.
The much-publicized journey was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” she recounted in a public message, describing a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the period after the journey.
She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she revealed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”
Buried Under Misogyny
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her lab work and years of training to the personal milestone of her heritage – was drowned out under the avalanche of gendered attacks.
She is most acclaimed for her tireless campaigning championing the cause of survivors of assault.
Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after an attack during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
Finding Solid Ground
Now, eight months after reaching space, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the well-wishers whose kindness helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed.
She added that amid the criticism, considerable good had resulted from the flight, such as spotlight on her scientific work and chances to influence leaders.
Flight Details
The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket departed Texas in the spring, carrying the historic roster on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the Kármán line of outer space.
The diverse crew also featured leaders in various fields.
The enterprise behind the mission is a private space firm launched by a Amazon founder.
