Crew Member Shares Mental Health Struggle Following ‘Tsunami of Harassment Following Journey
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after facing a relentless barrage of criticism in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also carried well-known figures.
The much-publicized journey was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the flight.
She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
The researcher, who has focused her career on women's health research and operated research during the mission, said all her lifelong efforts – including her studies and extensive preparation to the historic significance of her heritage – was drowned out under the avalanche of gendered attacks.
She is best known for her pioneering work championing the cause of sexual assault survivors.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after being assaulted during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
A Path to Recovery
In the time since achieving her goal, she noted the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the supporters whose kindness were her lifeline. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.
She added that despite the negativity, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the flight, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
About the Mission
The self-operating New Shepard rocket lifted off from Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the edge of space.
The group of women also comprised experts in different industries.
The venture behind the mission is a private space firm established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
