Astronaut Reveals Mental Health Struggle Following Deluge of Harassment Post-Spaceflight
A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her emotional downturn after being subjected to a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission.
Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also featured celebrity crewmates.
The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a online statement, referring to a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the flight.
She described the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she confessed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Buried Under Misogyny
The researcher, who has focused her career on women's health research and conducted tests during the mission, said every professional achievement – from her scientific research and years of training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was drowned out under the tide of gendered attacks.
She is most acclaimed for her tireless campaigning championing the cause of survivors of assault.
Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after an attack during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
A Path to Recovery
Months following achieving her goal, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose support helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she said.
She added that despite the negativity, considerable good had come out of the experience, including elevated attention for her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
Flight Details
The fully automated New Shepard rocket lifted off from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that exceeded the Kármán line of space.
The group of women also featured leaders in different industries.
The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company founded by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
