Crew Member Reveals Mental Health Struggle After Deluge of Backlash After Historic Trip

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her battle with depression 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 scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight earlier this year, which also carried celebrity crewmates.

The mission was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.

Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”.

“I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” the astronaut shared in a social media post, describing a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the days following the journey.

She described the press attention and digital reaction as an unprecedented psychological assault.

“Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”

Buried Under Misogyny

The researcher, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and years of training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was buried under the deluge of misogyny.

She is most acclaimed for her tireless campaigning protecting the rights of survivors of assault.

Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after an attack during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice.

Finding Solid Ground

In the time since achieving her goal, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the supporters whose kindness were her lifeline. “You were my salvation,” she said.

She concluded that despite the negativity, considerable good had come out of the flight, such as elevated attention for her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities.

About the Mission

The self-operating spacecraft lifted off from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the Kármán line of space.

The team of pioneers also comprised leaders in multiple disciplines.

The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.