Crew Member Shares Mental Health Struggle After ‘Tsunami of Harassment Following Journey

A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her emotional downturn after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

The 34-year-old activist – known as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission in the spring, which also carried celebrity crewmates.

The much-publicized journey was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.

Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the negative reaction buried her dreams under an “avalanche of misogyny”.

“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, describing a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the period after the journey.

She portrayed 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 revealed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”

Buried Under Misogyny

The researcher, who has dedicated her work to gynecological science and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her lab work and extensive preparation to the historic significance of her heritage – was buried under the tide of gendered attacks.

She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of survivors of assault.

Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a protracted legal battle.

Finding Solid Ground

Months following fulfilling her dream, she has stated the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed.

She concluded that despite the negativity, considerable good had resulted from the mission, including spotlight on her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities.

The Historic Journey

The self-operating spacecraft launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that crossed the Kármán line of outer space.

The group of women also featured experts in different industries.

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