Crew Member Shares Emotional Distress Following Wave of Backlash Following Journey
A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission.
Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight earlier this year, which also featured well-known figures.
The mission was widely scrutinized by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, 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 phone call from a mission companion in the period after the flight.
She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.
“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.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on gynecological science and conducted tests during the mission, said all her lifelong efforts – from her studies and astronaut training to the historic significance of her background – was overshadowed under the tide of misogyny.
She is widely recognized for her pioneering work championing the cause of survivors of assault.
Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
Finding Solid Ground
In the time since achieving her goal, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she affirmed.
She noted that despite the negativity, important benefits had come out of the experience, such as spotlight on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
Flight Details
The fully automated New Shepard rocket lifted off from Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that exceeded the edge of space.
The diverse crew also featured accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines.
The venture behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company launched by a Amazon founder.
