Astronaut Shares Emotional Distress Following Deluge of Harassment Following Journey

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her emotional downturn after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.

Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also featured celebrity crewmates.

The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who challenged its value and ecological impact.

Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash buried her dreams under an “avalanche of misogyny”.

“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, recalling a check-in call from a mission companion 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 revealed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”

Buried Under Misogyny

The researcher, who has dedicated her work to female health science and conducted tests during the mission, said every professional achievement – including her lab work and years of training to the symbolic importance of her background – was overshadowed under the tide of sexist vitriol.

She is best known for her tireless campaigning championing the cause of survivors of assault.

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after an attack during her university years, leading to a protracted legal battle.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Now, eight months after achieving her goal, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose support were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.

She concluded that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the flight, including increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

About the Mission

The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket launched from Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a short trip that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.

The diverse crew also comprised experts in various fields.

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