Crew Member Shares Emotional Distress In the Wake of ‘Tsunami of Online Abuse Post-Spaceflight

A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her battle with depression after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.

The 34-year-old activist – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight earlier this year, which also featured celebrity crewmates.

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

Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an torrent of sexist abuse.

“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a social media post, referring to a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the days following the journey.

She described the press attention and digital reaction as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.

“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.”

Eclipsed by Backlash

Ms. Nguyen, who has dedicated her work to gynecological science and conducted tests during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and astronaut training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was drowned out under the tide of gendered attacks.

She is most acclaimed for her tireless campaigning fighting for justice for sexual assault survivors.

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a years-long quest for justice.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she thanked the well-wishers whose kindness helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.

She noted that despite the negativity, significant positive outcomes had resulted from the mission, such as elevated attention for her scientific work and new advocacy opportunities.

The Historic Journey

The computer-piloted spacecraft departed Texas in April, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that exceeded the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.

The group of women also comprised experts in multiple disciplines.

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