Crew Member Reveals Mental Health Struggle After Wave of Online Abuse Post-Spaceflight
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a “tsunami of harassment” 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 short-duration mission earlier this year, which also carried high-profile passengers.
The much-publicized journey was widely scrutinized by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a social media post, referring to a check-in call from a mission companion in the days following the journey.
She portrayed 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.”
Buried Under Misogyny
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to female health science and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and astronaut training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was buried under the avalanche of gendered attacks.
She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy fighting for justice for survivors of assault.
Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after an attack during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
A Path to Recovery
In the time since achieving her goal, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the followers whose kindness were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she said.
She concluded that even with the backlash, important benefits had emerged from the mission, including elevated attention for her women's health research and chances to influence leaders.
About the Mission
The self-operating spacecraft departed Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space.
The diverse crew also included experts in different industries.
The venture behind the mission is a private space firm launched by a Amazon founder.
