Crew Member Discloses Depression In the Wake of Wave of Backlash After Historic Trip

A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after enduring a relentless barrage of criticism in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.

The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also included celebrity crewmates.

The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who challenged its value and ecological impact.

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

“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the days following the journey.

She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy 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

Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on gynecological science and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and years of training to the historic significance of her background – was drowned out under the avalanche of gendered attacks.

She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of survivors of assault.

Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was put on hold after being assaulted during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

Finding Solid Ground

In the time since achieving her goal, she reports that the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose kindness helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.

She concluded that even with the backlash, important benefits had emerged from the flight, including increased focus on her scientific work and chances to influence leaders.

About the Mission

The computer-piloted spacecraft departed Texas in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that passed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.

The group of women also featured experts in different industries.

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