Space Traveler Shares Emotional Distress After ‘Tsunami of Harassment Post-Spaceflight
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her battle with depression after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.
The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight earlier this year, which also featured celebrity crewmates.
The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the negative reaction eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the journey.
She portrayed the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she confessed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and performed experiments during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – from her lab work and astronaut training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was drowned out under the avalanche of gendered attacks.
She is best known for her tireless campaigning fighting for justice for survivors of assault.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a protracted legal battle.
A Path to Recovery
Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she thanked the well-wishers whose support helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she affirmed.
She added that amid the criticism, considerable good had resulted from the flight, such as elevated attention for her women's health research and chances to influence leaders.
The Historic Journey
The self-operating New Shepard rocket launched from Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a short trip that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.
The group of women also comprised leaders in multiple disciplines.
The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company established by a well-known tech mogul.
