Space Traveler Shares Mental Health Struggle Following ‘Tsunami of Backlash After Historic Trip

A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission.

Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight earlier this year, which also carried celebrity crewmates.

The much-publicized journey was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint.

Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred.

“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, recalling a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the period after the flight.

She described the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.

“I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed,” she confessed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”

Overshadowed by Sexism

Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and operated research during the flight, said every professional achievement – including her lab work and years of training to the historic significance of her roots – was overshadowed under the deluge of misogyny.

She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of sexual assault survivors.

Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after an attack during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Months following achieving her goal, she noted the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the supporters whose kindness helped save her. “You all saved me,” she wrote.

She concluded that despite the negativity, important benefits had come out of the mission, such as elevated attention for her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

Flight Details

The self-operating New Shepard rocket departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the historic roster on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the edge of outer space.

The diverse crew also comprised experts in different industries.

The venture behind the mission is a private space firm established by a Amazon founder.