Crew Member Reveals Emotional Distress In the Wake of Wave of Backlash Post-Spaceflight
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.
The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also carried celebrity crewmates.
The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a social media post, recalling a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the landing.
She portrayed 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. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and operated research during the mission, said all her lifelong efforts – from her lab work and years of training to the symbolic importance of her background – was drowned out under the tide of sexist vitriol.
She is best known for her pioneering work protecting the rights of survivors of assault.
Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.
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 well-wishers whose support were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.
She concluded that despite the negativity, considerable good had come out of the mission, such as increased focus on her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
About the Mission
The self-operating spacecraft departed Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the internationally recognized boundary of space.
The team of pioneers also comprised leaders in multiple disciplines.
The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
