Astronaut Reveals Emotional Distress Following ‘Tsunami of Harassment Post-Spaceflight
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her emotional downturn after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
Amanda Nguyen – known as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight earlier this year, which also carried high-profile passengers.
The mission was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an torrent of sexist abuse.
“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” the astronaut shared in a public message, referring to a phone call from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the flight.
She described 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 revealed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
Ms. Nguyen, who has conducted studies in gynecological science and performed experiments during the mission, said all her lifelong efforts – from her scientific research and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her background – was drowned out under the tide of gendered attacks.
She is best known for her tireless campaigning championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a protracted legal battle.
A Path to Recovery
In the time since achieving her goal, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she thanked the supporters whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.
She concluded that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had come out of the experience, such as elevated attention for her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
About the Mission
The self-operating New Shepard rocket lifted off from its launch site in April, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that crossed the Kármán line of space.
The group of women also comprised leaders in various fields.
The venture behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company founded by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
