A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after being subjected to a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission.
Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also carried celebrity crewmates.
The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an torrent of sexist abuse.
“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, describing a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the days following the landing.
She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
The researcher, who has focused her career on women's health research and operated research during the flight, said every professional achievement – from her studies and years of training to the historic significance of her background – was drowned out under the deluge of misogyny.
She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of survivors of assault.
Her own goal of reaching space was paused after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability.
In the time since fulfilling her dream, she has stated the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the followers whose kindness helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she said.
She concluded that despite the negativity, important benefits had come out of the mission, including spotlight on her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities.
The fully automated New Shepard rocket departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that passed the Kármán line of outer space.
The group of women also featured leaders in different industries.
The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company launched by a Amazon founder.
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