Crew Member Reveals Emotional Distress In the Wake of Deluge of Backlash Following Journey
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in the spring, which also featured celebrity crewmates.
The mission was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” she recounted in a public message, describing a phone call from a mission companion in the period after the journey.
She described the news reports and online discourse as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to gynecological science and performed experiments during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – including her scientific research and years of training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was overshadowed under the tide of sexist vitriol.
She is widely recognized for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of survivors of assault.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was put on hold after an attack during her university years, leading to a protracted legal battle.
Finding Solid Ground
Months following fulfilling her dream, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she thanked the well-wishers whose support were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.
She added that despite the negativity, considerable good had emerged from the experience, such as increased focus on her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
Flight Details
The self-operating New Shepard rocket lifted off from Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that crossed the Kármán line of space.
The group of women also featured leaders in various fields.
The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company established by a well-known tech mogul.