Space Traveler Shares Emotional Distress In the Wake of Deluge of Online Abuse After Historic Trip

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her emotional downturn after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a landmark journey to the edge of space.

Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also featured celebrity crewmates.

The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.

Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.

“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” she recounted in a public message, recalling a check-in call from a mission companion in the days following the landing.

She described the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping.

“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she confessed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.”

Overshadowed by Sexism

The researcher, who has conducted studies in gynecological science and performed experiments during the flight, said all her lifelong efforts – including her lab work and years of training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was overshadowed under the avalanche of gendered attacks.

She is widely recognized for her tireless campaigning protecting the rights of survivors of assault.

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after an attack during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Months following fulfilling her dream, she noted the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she acknowledged the supporters whose kindness pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she wrote.

She noted that despite the negativity, significant positive outcomes had come out of the mission, such as spotlight on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

Flight Details

The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in April, carrying the all-female team on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the edge of outer space.

The group of women also featured leaders in different industries.

The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company founded by a Amazon founder.