Space Traveler Reveals Emotional Distress Following Deluge of Online Abuse Post-Spaceflight

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her emotional downturn after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

Amanda Nguyen – known as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in the spring, which also featured high-profile passengers.

The much-publicized journey was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and ecological impact.

Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the negative reaction overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.

“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a public message, describing a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the period after the flight.

She portrayed the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.

“I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”

Buried Under Misogyny

The researcher, who has conducted studies in female health science and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her lab work and astronaut training to the historic significance of her background – was overshadowed under the tide of gendered attacks.

She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of survivors of assault.

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

The Fog Begins to Lift

Months following achieving her goal, she noted the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she acknowledged the followers whose support pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed.

She concluded that despite the negativity, considerable good had come out of the flight, including elevated attention for her scientific work and platforms for her activism.

Flight Details

The fully automated spacecraft departed its launch site in April, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that crossed the edge of space.

The diverse crew also featured experts in various fields.

The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.