🔗 Share this article Crew Member Shares Mental Health Struggle After Wave of Harassment Post-Spaceflight The scientist and activist, a bioastronautics research scientist, was aboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her battle with depression after being subjected to a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also featured celebrity crewmates. The mission was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, referring to a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the landing. She characterized 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 wrote. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.” Eclipsed by Backlash Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and conducted tests during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – from her studies and astronaut training to the historic significance of her background – was buried under the deluge of misogyny. She is widely recognized for her tireless campaigning championing the cause of sexual assault survivors. Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after an attack during her university years, leading to a protracted legal battle. A Path to Recovery Months following fulfilling her dream, she has stated the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she thanked the followers whose kindness helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote. She concluded that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had come out of the experience, including elevated attention for her scientific work and new advocacy opportunities. About the Mission The self-operating spacecraft launched from Texas in the spring, carrying the historic roster on a brief suborbital flight that passed the internationally recognized boundary of space. The group of women also comprised leaders in various fields. The company behind the flight is a private space firm established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
The scientist and activist, a bioastronautics research scientist, was aboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her battle with depression after being subjected to a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also featured celebrity crewmates. The mission was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, referring to a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the landing. She characterized 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 wrote. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.” Eclipsed by Backlash Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and conducted tests during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – from her studies and astronaut training to the historic significance of her background – was buried under the deluge of misogyny. She is widely recognized for her tireless campaigning championing the cause of sexual assault survivors. Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after an attack during her university years, leading to a protracted legal battle. A Path to Recovery Months following fulfilling her dream, she has stated the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she thanked the followers whose kindness helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote. She concluded that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had come out of the experience, including elevated attention for her scientific work and new advocacy opportunities. About the Mission The self-operating spacecraft launched from Texas in the spring, carrying the historic roster on a brief suborbital flight that passed the internationally recognized boundary of space. The group of women also comprised leaders in various fields. The company behind the flight is a private space firm established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.