Space Traveler Shares Mental Health Struggle After Deluge of Online Abuse After Historic Trip

A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her emotional downturn after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also carried celebrity crewmates.

The mission was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint.

Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an landslide of gendered hatred.

“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” she recounted in a online statement, recalling a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the flight.

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 revealed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”

Eclipsed by Backlash

Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to female health science and conducted tests during the mission, said every professional achievement – from her lab work and extensive preparation to the personal milestone of her roots – was drowned out under the deluge of misogyny.

She is widely recognized for her pioneering work championing the cause of survivors of assault.

Her own goal of reaching space was put on hold after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

A Path to Recovery

Now, eight months after reaching space, she reports that the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the followers whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.

She concluded that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the experience, such as elevated attention for her scientific work and platforms for her activism.

The Historic Journey

The fully automated New Shepard rocket lifted off from Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the Kármán line of space.

The group of women also included experts in various fields.

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