Space Traveler Reveals Emotional Distress After Deluge of Online Abuse Following Journey
A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after enduring a relentless barrage of criticism in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.
Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight earlier this year, which also included well-known figures.
The mission was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, referring to a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the flight.
She characterized the press attention and digital reaction as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she wrote. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”
Buried Under Misogyny
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and conducted tests during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and extensive preparation to the personal milestone of her background – was buried under the tide of gendered attacks.
She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy fighting for justice for survivors of assault.
Her own goal of reaching space was paused after being assaulted during her university years, leading to a protracted legal battle.
Finding Solid Ground
In the time since achieving her goal, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the supporters whose messages of encouragement pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.
She added that amid the criticism, considerable good had emerged from the flight, such as increased focus on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders.
The Historic Journey
The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket departed its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the Kármán line of outer space.
The team of pioneers also featured experts in multiple disciplines.
The company behind the mission is a private space firm launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
