Crew Member Discloses Mental Health Struggle After Deluge of Online Abuse After Historic Trip

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in the spring, which also carried celebrity crewmates.

The mission was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.

Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an torrent of sexist abuse.

“I told her my depression might last for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, describing a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the days following the journey.

She described the press attention and digital reaction as an unprecedented psychological assault.

“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”

Overshadowed by Sexism

Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and performed experiments during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her scientific research and years of training to the historic significance of her roots – was buried under the tide 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 surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice.

Finding Solid Ground

Now, eight months after reaching space, she noted the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose kindness were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she said.

She concluded that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had come out of the experience, including elevated attention for her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities.

About the Mission

The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket departed its launch site in April, carrying the historic roster on a brief suborbital flight that passed the Kármán line of space.

The group of women also featured leaders in different industries.

The company behind the flight is a private space firm launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.