🔗 Share this article Crew Member Discloses Emotional Distress After Wave of Backlash Post-Spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was a passenger on the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also featured high-profile passengers. The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a social media post, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the landing. She described the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”. “Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she confessed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.” Buried Under Misogyny Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to gynecological science and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and years of training to the personal milestone of her roots – was drowned out under the avalanche of gendered attacks. She is widely recognized for her tireless campaigning fighting for justice for survivors of assault. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after an attack during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice. The Fog Begins to Lift Months following achieving her goal, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the supporters whose support pulled her through. “Your support rescued me,” she said. She concluded that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the flight, including increased focus on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders. The Historic Journey The self-operating spacecraft launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that passed the edge of outer space. The group of women also featured experts in various fields. The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was a passenger on the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also featured high-profile passengers. The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a social media post, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the landing. She described the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”. “Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she confessed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.” Buried Under Misogyny Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to gynecological science and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and years of training to the personal milestone of her roots – was drowned out under the avalanche of gendered attacks. She is widely recognized for her tireless campaigning fighting for justice for survivors of assault. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after an attack during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice. The Fog Begins to Lift Months following achieving her goal, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the supporters whose support pulled her through. “Your support rescued me,” she said. She concluded that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the flight, including increased focus on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders. The Historic Journey The self-operating spacecraft launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that passed the edge of outer space. The group of women also featured experts in various fields. The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.