🔗 Share this article Space Traveler Discloses Depression Following Deluge of Backlash Post-Spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was onboard the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in the spring, which also carried well-known figures. The mission was met with derision by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who made history as the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a online statement, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the journey. She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “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 Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and operated research during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her lab work and years of training to the historic significance of her background – was buried under the deluge of misogyny. She is widely recognized for her pioneering work championing the cause of victims of sexual violence. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a protracted legal battle. Finding Solid Ground Now, eight months after reaching space, she has stated the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose support were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed. She concluded that amid the criticism, important benefits had emerged from the flight, including elevated attention for her scientific work and chances to influence leaders. Flight Details The self-operating spacecraft departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that exceeded the edge of outer space. The group of women also included leaders in different industries. The company behind the flight is a private space firm established by a well-known tech mogul.
Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was onboard the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in the spring, which also carried well-known figures. The mission was met with derision by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who made history as the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a online statement, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the journey. She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “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 Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and operated research during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her lab work and years of training to the historic significance of her background – was buried under the deluge of misogyny. She is widely recognized for her pioneering work championing the cause of victims of sexual violence. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a protracted legal battle. Finding Solid Ground Now, eight months after reaching space, she has stated the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose support were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed. She concluded that amid the criticism, important benefits had emerged from the flight, including elevated attention for her scientific work and chances to influence leaders. Flight Details The self-operating spacecraft departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that exceeded the edge of outer space. The group of women also included leaders in different industries. The company behind the flight is a private space firm established by a well-known tech mogul.