Crew Member Reveals Emotional Distress After Deluge of Backlash Following Journey

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her battle with depression after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also included well-known figures.

The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and carbon 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 landslide of gendered hatred.

“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the days following the journey.

She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault.

“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”

Overshadowed by Sexism

Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on gynecological science and operated research during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her scientific research and years of training to the personal milestone of her heritage – was buried under the tide of gendered attacks.

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

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was put on hold after being assaulted during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Months following reaching space, she has stated the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.

She concluded that amid the criticism, considerable good had come out of the flight, including elevated attention for her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

The Historic Journey

The fully automated New Shepard rocket lifted off from its launch site in April, carrying the historic roster on a 11-minute journey that exceeded the Kármán line of outer space.

The group of women also featured experts in various fields.

The company behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company launched by a well-known tech mogul.