Crew Member Shares Emotional Distress In the Wake of ‘Tsunami of Online Abuse Post-Spaceflight
A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her battle with depression after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also featured celebrity crewmates.
The mission was widely scrutinized by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash buried her dreams under an torrent of sexist abuse.
“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” she recounted in a online statement, referring to a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the journey.
She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on gynecological science and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – from her lab work and years of training to the personal milestone of her heritage – was overshadowed under the deluge of sexist vitriol.
She is widely recognized for her pioneering work championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.
Her own goal of reaching space was deferred after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.
The Fog Begins to Lift
Months following reaching space, she noted the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she acknowledged the supporters whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she affirmed.
She noted that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the flight, such as elevated attention for her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
Flight Details
The self-operating New Shepard rocket departed Texas in April, carrying the historic roster on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the Kármán line of space.
The diverse crew also featured experts in multiple disciplines.
The venture behind the flight is a private space firm founded by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
