Astronaut Discloses Depression Following Wave of Harassment Post-Spaceflight

A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.

The 34-year-old activist – known as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also carried celebrity crewmates.

The much-publicized journey was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.

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

“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” the astronaut shared in a online statement, referring to a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the days following the flight.

She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping.

“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”

Buried Under Misogyny

Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and conducted tests during the flight, said every professional achievement – from her lab work and years of training to the personal milestone of her background – was buried under the tide of sexist vitriol.

She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.

Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

A Path to Recovery

Months following fulfilling her dream, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the supporters whose messages of encouragement pulled her through. “You all saved me,” she wrote.

She concluded that amid the criticism, considerable good had resulted from the experience, such as spotlight on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

The Historic Journey

The computer-piloted spacecraft lifted off from Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.

The diverse crew also included experts in multiple disciplines.

The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.