🔗 Share this article Space Traveler Reveals Mental Health Struggle In the Wake of ‘Tsunami of Backlash Post-Spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was aboard the automated spacecraft in April 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her battle with depression after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a historic all-female space mission. Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also featured well-known figures. The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” the astronaut shared in a online statement, describing a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the days following the landing. 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 wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.” Eclipsed by Backlash The researcher, who has focused her career on female health science and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and years of training to the historic significance of her roots – was drowned out under the deluge of misogyny. She is most acclaimed for her pioneering work protecting the rights of survivors of assault. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a long campaign for accountability. Finding Solid Ground Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose kindness were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she said. She concluded that despite the negativity, important benefits had resulted from the experience, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. Flight Details The computer-piloted spacecraft launched from Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that passed the edge of space. The group of women also included leaders in various fields. The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company launched by a Amazon founder.
Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was aboard the automated spacecraft in April 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her battle with depression after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a historic all-female space mission. Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also featured well-known figures. The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” the astronaut shared in a online statement, describing a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the days following the landing. 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 wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.” Eclipsed by Backlash The researcher, who has focused her career on female health science and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and years of training to the historic significance of her roots – was drowned out under the deluge of misogyny. She is most acclaimed for her pioneering work protecting the rights of survivors of assault. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a long campaign for accountability. Finding Solid Ground Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose kindness were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she said. She concluded that despite the negativity, important benefits had resulted from the experience, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. Flight Details The computer-piloted spacecraft launched from Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that passed the edge of space. The group of women also included leaders in various fields. The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company launched by a Amazon founder.