🔗 Share this article Crew Member Reveals Mental Health Struggle Following ‘Tsunami of Harassment After Historic Trip Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was aboard the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space in April, which also included celebrity crewmates. The much-publicized journey was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the negative reaction overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” she recounted in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the flight. She described the press attention and digital reaction as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she wrote. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.” Buried Under Misogyny The researcher, who has conducted studies in gynecological science and operated research during the flight, said every professional achievement – from her studies and years of training to the personal milestone of her background – was overshadowed under the deluge of sexist vitriol. She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of victims of sexual violence. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a protracted legal battle. A Path to Recovery In the time since reaching space, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the followers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote. She concluded that even with the backlash, important benefits had resulted from the mission, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. The Historic Journey The computer-piloted spacecraft lifted off from its launch site in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the Kármán line of outer space. The team of pioneers also comprised accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines. The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was aboard the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space in April, which also included celebrity crewmates. The much-publicized journey was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the negative reaction overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” she recounted in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the flight. She described the press attention and digital reaction as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she wrote. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.” Buried Under Misogyny The researcher, who has conducted studies in gynecological science and operated research during the flight, said every professional achievement – from her studies and years of training to the personal milestone of her background – was overshadowed under the deluge of sexist vitriol. She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of victims of sexual violence. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a protracted legal battle. A Path to Recovery In the time since reaching space, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she acknowledged the followers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote. She concluded that even with the backlash, important benefits had resulted from the mission, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. The Historic Journey The computer-piloted spacecraft lifted off from its launch site in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the Kármán line of outer space. The team of pioneers also comprised accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines. The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.