Crew Member Discloses Mental Health Struggle Following Wave of Backlash Following Journey

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also included high-profile passengers.

The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response 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, recalling a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the period after the journey.

She described the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping.

“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she revealed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”

Buried Under Misogyny

Ms. Nguyen, who has conducted studies in women's health research and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – from her lab work and years of training to the personal milestone of her background – was drowned out under the avalanche of misogyny.

She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of sexual assault survivors.

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was put on hold after an attack during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

A Path to Recovery

In the time since reaching space, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the followers whose support helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she said.

She noted that despite the negativity, considerable good had come out of the flight, including increased focus on her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities.

The Historic Journey

The computer-piloted spacecraft lifted off from Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that passed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.

The group of women also featured leaders in different industries.

The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company founded by a well-known tech mogul.