Crew Member Discloses Emotional Distress After Deluge of Backlash Following Journey
A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.
Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also carried celebrity crewmates.
The much-publicized journey was widely scrutinized by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the negative reaction overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a social media post, describing a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the days following the landing.
She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“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.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
Ms. Nguyen, who has conducted studies in female health science and conducted tests during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her studies and years of training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was buried under the avalanche of sexist vitriol.
She is widely recognized for her tireless campaigning fighting for justice for survivors of assault.
Her own goal of reaching space was paused after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
The Fog Begins to Lift
Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she has stated the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she said.
She noted that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had resulted from the mission, including elevated attention for her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
The Historic Journey
The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket launched from Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that exceeded the Kármán line of outer space.
The group of women also included leaders in different industries.
The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
