Space Traveler Reveals Emotional Distress After Deluge of Online Abuse After Historic Trip

A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after facing a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.

Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also carried high-profile passengers.

The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.

Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred.

“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a social media post, referring to a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the flight.

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 wrote. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”

Eclipsed by Backlash

Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on women's health research and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her lab work and years of training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was buried under the deluge of sexist vitriol.

She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of survivors of assault.

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after being assaulted during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she noted the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she thanked the supporters whose support were her lifeline. “Your support rescued me,” she said.

She concluded that even with the backlash, considerable good had resulted from the experience, including increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

About the Mission

The self-operating spacecraft launched from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space.

The diverse crew also included accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines.

The venture behind the mission is a private space firm launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.