Space Traveler Reveals Mental Health Struggle Following Wave of Backlash Following Journey

A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.

The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also carried celebrity crewmates.

The mission was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.

Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”.

“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a social media post, describing a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the flight.

She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an unprecedented psychological assault.

“I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”

Buried Under Misogyny

Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – from her scientific research and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her background – was overshadowed under the avalanche of misogyny.

She is widely recognized for her pioneering work protecting the rights of sexual assault survivors.

Her own goal of reaching space was put on hold after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

Finding Solid Ground

Months following achieving her goal, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the followers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.

She noted that amid the criticism, considerable good had come out of the flight, including elevated attention for her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities.

Flight Details

The fully automated spacecraft launched from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the edge of outer space.

The team of pioneers also comprised experts in various fields.

The company behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company founded by a well-known tech mogul.