Astronaut Discloses Depression After Wave of Harassment After Historic Trip

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her emotional downturn after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission.

The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also carried well-known figures.

The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint.

Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse.

“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a social media post, describing a phone call from a fellow crew member in the days following the flight.

She described the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an unprecedented psychological assault.

“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.”

Buried Under Misogyny

Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on women's health research and conducted tests during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – from her studies and years of training to the historic significance of her heritage – was buried under the tide of gendered attacks.

She is best known for her pioneering work protecting the rights of survivors of assault.

Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after an attack during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

A Path to Recovery

Now, eight months after achieving her goal, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the supporters whose kindness helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.

She added that amid the criticism, important benefits had come out of the flight, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

About the Mission

The self-operating New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a short trip that passed the Kármán line of space.

The group of women also included leaders in different industries.

The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.