Space Traveler Shares Depression After Wave of Online Abuse Following Journey
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her battle with depression after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
Amanda Nguyen – known as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also carried celebrity crewmates.
The mission was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, referring to a phone call from a mission companion in the days following 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 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 mission, said all her lifelong efforts – including her scientific research and years of training to the symbolic importance of her background – was buried under the deluge of sexist vitriol.
She is widely recognized for her pioneering work championing the cause of survivors of assault.
Her own goal of reaching space was put on hold after an attack during her university years, leading to a protracted legal battle.
A Path to Recovery
Months following achieving her goal, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the followers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed.
She noted that even with the backlash, considerable good had resulted from the flight, including elevated attention for her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
Flight Details
The computer-piloted spacecraft launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that exceeded the Kármán line of outer space.
The group of women also featured experts in various fields.
The enterprise behind the mission is a private space firm founded by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
