Crew Member Reveals Mental Health Struggle Following Deluge of Harassment Post-Spaceflight

A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a “tsunami of harassment” 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 short-duration mission in the spring, which also included high-profile passengers.

The mission was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, 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 online statement, describing a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the period after the journey.

She described the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault.

“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she confessed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”

Overshadowed by Sexism

Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to gynecological science and operated research during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her lab work and years of training to the personal milestone of her background – was drowned out under the tide of gendered attacks.

She is widely recognized for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of survivors of assault.

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was put on hold after an attack during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.

Finding Solid Ground

Months following fulfilling her dream, she noted the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the supporters whose support pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed.

She added that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had resulted from the mission, including increased focus on her scientific work and chances to influence leaders.

The Historic Journey

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 group of women also featured accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines.

The venture behind the mission is a private space firm founded by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.