Space Traveler Discloses Mental Health Struggle Following Deluge of Backlash Following Journey
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission.
The 34-year-old activist – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in the spring, which also carried celebrity crewmates.
The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” she recounted in a public message, describing a phone call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the flight.
She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Buried Under Misogyny
Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on gynecological science and conducted tests during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her studies and astronaut training to the symbolic importance of her background – was buried under the avalanche of sexist vitriol.
She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.
Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after being assaulted during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
A Path to Recovery
Months following reaching space, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.
She concluded that despite the negativity, important benefits had emerged from the mission, such as spotlight on her scientific work and chances to influence leaders.
Flight Details
The computer-piloted spacecraft departed Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the Kármán line of space.
The team of pioneers also featured experts in various fields.
The company behind the mission is a private space firm founded by a well-known tech mogul.
