Astronaut Reveals Depression In the Wake of Wave of Backlash Following Journey

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her battle with depression after facing a relentless barrage of criticism in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in April, which also included celebrity crewmates.

The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and carbon footprint.

Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response eclipsed her moment under an landslide of gendered hatred.

“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, referring to a check-in call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the journey.

She described the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an unprecedented psychological assault.

“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she wrote. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”

Overshadowed by Sexism

Ms. Nguyen, who has conducted studies in female health science and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her studies and years of training to the personal milestone of her background – was overshadowed under the deluge of gendered attacks.

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

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

Finding Solid Ground

In the time since fulfilling her dream, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she acknowledged the followers whose kindness helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed.

She concluded that even with the backlash, considerable good had resulted from the mission, such as spotlight on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

Flight Details

The self-operating New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that exceeded the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.

The diverse crew also included experts in various fields.

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