Crew Member Shares Emotional Distress Following Wave of Backlash After Historic Trip
A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake 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 mission was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an torrent of sexist abuse.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, recalling a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the aftermath of the flight.
She characterized the press attention and digital reaction as an barrage beyond typical human coping.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
The researcher, who has focused her career on gynecological science and performed experiments during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – from her lab work and years of training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was overshadowed under the avalanche of misogyny.
She is widely recognized for her pioneering work championing the cause of survivors of assault.
Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after an attack during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
Finding Solid Ground
Months following fulfilling her dream, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the followers whose support pulled her through. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.
She added that even with the backlash, considerable good had come out of the mission, such as spotlight on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders.
About the Mission
The self-operating New Shepard rocket departed Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the Kármán line of space.
The group of women also included leaders in different industries.
The company behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company launched by a well-known tech mogul.
