Space Traveler Reveals Mental Health Struggle In the Wake of ‘Tsunami of Harassment Following Journey
A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in April, which also featured high-profile passengers.
The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.
Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, referring to a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the landing.
She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to women's health research 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 overshadowed under the tide of misogyny.
She is most acclaimed for her pioneering work fighting for justice for sexual assault survivors.
Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
Finding Solid Ground
Now, eight months after achieving her goal, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the supporters whose messages of encouragement pulled her through. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.
She noted that even with the backlash, considerable good had resulted from the flight, such as elevated attention for her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
About the Mission
The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space.
The group of women also included leaders in multiple disciplines.
The company behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company founded by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
