Crew Member Discloses Mental Health Struggle In the Wake of Wave of Backlash Post-Spaceflight
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a relentless barrage of criticism in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.
The 34-year-old activist – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in April, which also carried well-known figures.
The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a online statement, recalling a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the aftermath of the landing.
She described the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she revealed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
Ms. Nguyen, who has conducted studies in gynecological science and operated research during the mission, said every professional achievement – including her studies and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her heritage – was overshadowed under the deluge of misogyny.
She is widely recognized for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of sexual assault survivors.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after an attack during her time as a student, leading to a protracted legal battle.
The Fog Begins to Lift
Months following achieving her goal, she noted the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the supporters whose support helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.
She added that amid the criticism, important benefits had come out of the mission, such as elevated attention for her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
Flight Details
The self-operating New Shepard rocket lifted off from its launch site in April, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that crossed the edge of outer space.
The group of women also included leaders in different industries.
The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company launched by a well-known tech mogul.