Astronaut Shares Emotional Distress After Wave of Backlash After Historic Trip

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after being subjected to a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.

The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also included high-profile passengers.

The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint.

Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.

“I told her my depression might last for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a social media post, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the period after the flight.

She characterized 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 wrote. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”

Eclipsed by Backlash

The researcher, who has dedicated her work to female health science and conducted tests during the flight, said every professional achievement – including her lab work and astronaut training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was drowned out under the deluge of gendered attacks.

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

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after being assaulted during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she thanked the well-wishers whose kindness helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.

She concluded that even with the backlash, considerable good had come out of the experience, such as increased focus on her scientific work and new advocacy opportunities.

Flight Details

The fully automated spacecraft departed Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that exceeded the Kármán line of space.

The diverse crew also comprised leaders in different industries.

The company behind the flight is a private space firm established by a Amazon founder.