🔗 Share this article Crew Member Shares Mental Health Struggle After Deluge of Harassment Post-Spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was onboard the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after facing a relentless barrage of criticism in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission. The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also featured high-profile passengers. The mission was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact. Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” the astronaut shared in a social media post, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the flight. She characterized the news reports and online discourse 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. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.” Overshadowed by Sexism The researcher, who has focused her career on gynecological science and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and astronaut training to the historic significance of her background – was drowned out under the tide of sexist vitriol. She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of survivors of assault. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after an attack during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability. The Fog Begins to Lift In the time since achieving her goal, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the followers whose support helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote. She added that amid the criticism, considerable good had resulted from the flight, such as spotlight on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. Flight Details The self-operating New Shepard rocket departed Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a brief suborbital flight that passed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space. The diverse crew also included experts in different industries. The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a well-known tech mogul.
Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was onboard the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after facing a relentless barrage of criticism in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission. The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also featured high-profile passengers. The mission was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact. Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” the astronaut shared in a social media post, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the flight. She characterized the news reports and online discourse 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. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.” Overshadowed by Sexism The researcher, who has focused her career on gynecological science and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and astronaut training to the historic significance of her background – was drowned out under the tide of sexist vitriol. She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of survivors of assault. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after an attack during her college days, leading to a long campaign for accountability. The Fog Begins to Lift In the time since achieving her goal, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the followers whose support helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote. She added that amid the criticism, considerable good had resulted from the flight, such as spotlight on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. Flight Details The self-operating New Shepard rocket departed Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a brief suborbital flight that passed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space. The diverse crew also included experts in different industries. The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a well-known tech mogul.