Space Traveler Reveals Depression After Deluge of Online Abuse Following Journey
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her battle with depression after being subjected to a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in the spring, which also included high-profile passengers.
The mission was met with derision by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” the astronaut shared in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the landing.
She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an barrage beyond typical human coping.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she confessed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to female health science and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her studies and extensive preparation to the symbolic importance of her roots – was overshadowed under the avalanche of misogyny.
She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of survivors of assault.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was put on hold after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
A Path to Recovery
Months following reaching space, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the supporters whose support helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.
She concluded that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had come out of the mission, such as spotlight on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
Flight Details
The computer-piloted spacecraft lifted off from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that crossed the Kármán line of outer space.
The diverse crew also comprised experts in multiple disciplines.
The enterprise behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company founded by a Amazon founder.
