🔗 Share this article Space Traveler Discloses Emotional Distress In the Wake of ‘Tsunami of Backlash Following Journey The scientist and activist, a women's health researcher, was aboard the automated spacecraft in April 2025. A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in April, which also carried celebrity crewmates. The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the negative reaction eclipsed her moment under an landslide of gendered hatred. “I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a social media post, describing a phone call from a mission companion in the period after the landing. She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “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.” Overshadowed by Sexism The researcher, who has focused her career on women's health research and conducted tests during the mission, said every professional achievement – including her studies and years of training to the historic significance of her heritage – was buried under the deluge of sexist vitriol. She is most acclaimed for her tireless campaigning protecting the rights of sexual assault survivors. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after being assaulted during her time as a student, leading to a protracted legal battle. A Path to Recovery Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the followers whose kindness were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she wrote. She concluded that despite the negativity, significant positive outcomes had come out of the mission, including elevated attention for her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities. Flight Details The computer-piloted spacecraft departed Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that crossed the Kármán line of space. The diverse crew also featured experts in multiple disciplines. The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
The scientist and activist, a women's health researcher, was aboard the automated spacecraft in April 2025. A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in April, which also carried celebrity crewmates. The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the negative reaction eclipsed her moment under an landslide of gendered hatred. “I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a social media post, describing a phone call from a mission companion in the period after the landing. She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “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.” Overshadowed by Sexism The researcher, who has focused her career on women's health research and conducted tests during the mission, said every professional achievement – including her studies and years of training to the historic significance of her heritage – was buried under the deluge of sexist vitriol. She is most acclaimed for her tireless campaigning protecting the rights of sexual assault survivors. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after being assaulted during her time as a student, leading to a protracted legal battle. A Path to Recovery Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the followers whose kindness were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she wrote. She concluded that despite the negativity, significant positive outcomes had come out of the mission, including elevated attention for her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities. Flight Details The computer-piloted spacecraft departed Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that crossed the Kármán line of space. The diverse crew also featured experts in multiple disciplines. The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.