Space Traveler Shares Depression After Wave of Backlash After Historic Trip

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her battle with depression after being subjected to a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

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

The much-publicized journey was widely scrutinized by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint.

Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an torrent of sexist abuse.

“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, recalling a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the period after the flight.

She described the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.

“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”

Overshadowed by Sexism

The researcher, who has focused her career on gynecological science and performed experiments during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and years of training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was buried under the tide of misogyny.

She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.

Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.

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 well-wishers whose support were her lifeline. “Your support rescued me,” she affirmed.

She noted that even with the backlash, considerable good had emerged from the flight, such as spotlight on her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities.

Flight Details

The fully automated spacecraft departed its launch site in April, carrying the historic roster on a short trip that exceeded the edge of outer space.

The group of women also included accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines.

The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company founded by a well-known tech mogul.