Crew Member Shares Emotional Distress Following Deluge of Backlash Following Journey

A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her battle with depression after facing a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

Amanda Nguyen – known as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also featured high-profile passengers.

The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who cited its expense and ecological impact.

Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the negative reaction eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse.

“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the landing.

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

Buried Under Misogyny

The researcher, who has focused her career on women's health research and performed experiments during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – from her scientific research and astronaut training to the historic significance of her roots – was drowned out under the avalanche of misogyny.

She is best known for her pioneering work championing the cause of sexual assault survivors.

Her own goal of reaching space was paused after an attack during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Months following reaching space, she reports that the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the well-wishers whose support helped save her. “You all saved me,” she affirmed.

She concluded that amid the criticism, important benefits had come out of the flight, such as spotlight on her scientific work and platforms for her activism.

Flight Details

The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space.

The team of pioneers also comprised accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines.

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