🔗 Share this article Space Traveler Shares Emotional Distress Following Deluge of Backlash Post-Spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was onboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in Spring 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after being subjected to a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in April, which also carried well-known figures. The mission was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, referring to a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the flight. She characterized the press attention and digital reaction as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”. “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 focused her career on gynecological science and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her studies and extensive preparation to the symbolic importance of her roots – was overshadowed under the avalanche of misogyny. She is widely recognized for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of victims of sexual violence. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was put on hold after an attack during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice. A Path to Recovery Now, eight months after reaching space, she reports that the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she thanked the followers whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she said. She added that amid the criticism, considerable good had emerged from the experience, such as spotlight on her scientific work and new advocacy opportunities. Flight Details The computer-piloted spacecraft departed Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a brief suborbital flight that passed the Kármán line of space. The group of women also included accomplished professionals from various fields. The venture behind the mission is a private space firm launched by a well-known tech mogul.
Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was onboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in Spring 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after being subjected to a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in April, which also carried well-known figures. The mission was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, referring to a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the flight. She characterized the press attention and digital reaction as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”. “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 focused her career on gynecological science and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her studies and extensive preparation to the symbolic importance of her roots – was overshadowed under the avalanche of misogyny. She is widely recognized for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of victims of sexual violence. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was put on hold after an attack during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice. A Path to Recovery Now, eight months after reaching space, she reports that the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she thanked the followers whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she said. She added that amid the criticism, considerable good had emerged from the experience, such as spotlight on her scientific work and new advocacy opportunities. Flight Details The computer-piloted spacecraft departed Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a brief suborbital flight that passed the Kármán line of space. The group of women also included accomplished professionals from various fields. The venture behind the mission is a private space firm launched by a well-known tech mogul.