🔗 Share this article Astronaut Shares Depression After Deluge of Backlash Post-Spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was onboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space. The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also included well-known figures. The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who cited its expense and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” the astronaut shared in a public message, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the landing. She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an unprecedented psychological assault. “For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she wrote. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Eclipsed by Backlash Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on women's health research and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her scientific research and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her background – was drowned out under the tide of gendered attacks. She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of survivors of assault. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after surviving a rape during her college days, 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 expressed gratitude the followers whose support were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she wrote. She noted that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the mission, including spotlight on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders. About the Mission The self-operating spacecraft departed Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that exceeded the Kármán line of space. The team of pioneers also comprised experts in multiple disciplines. The company behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a Amazon founder.
Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was onboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space. The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also included well-known figures. The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who cited its expense and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” the astronaut shared in a public message, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the landing. She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an unprecedented psychological assault. “For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she wrote. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Eclipsed by Backlash Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on women's health research and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her scientific research and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her background – was drowned out under the tide of gendered attacks. She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of survivors of assault. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after surviving a rape during her college days, 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 expressed gratitude the followers whose support were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she wrote. She noted that amid the criticism, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the mission, including spotlight on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders. About the Mission The self-operating spacecraft departed Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a short trip that exceeded the Kármán line of space. The team of pioneers also comprised experts in multiple disciplines. The company behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a Amazon founder.