Space Traveler Discloses Emotional Distress After Deluge of Backlash After Historic Trip
A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.
The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space in April, which also carried well-known figures.
The much-publicized journey was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the period after the journey.
She described the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to gynecological science and conducted tests during the mission, said every professional achievement – from her lab work and years of training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was overshadowed under the deluge of misogyny.
She is most acclaimed for her pioneering work protecting the rights of sexual assault survivors.
Her own goal of reaching space was paused after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a protracted legal battle.
Finding Solid Ground
In the time since reaching space, she has stated the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she thanked the followers whose support were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she wrote.
She added that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the mission, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
The Historic Journey
The self-operating New Shepard rocket departed its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that crossed the Kármán line of space.
The team of pioneers also comprised leaders in different industries.
The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company founded by a Amazon founder.
