Astronaut Shares Mental Health Struggle In the Wake of Deluge of Backlash After Historic Trip
A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her struggle with mental health after being subjected to a relentless barrage of criticism in the wake of a historic all-female space mission.
The 34-year-old activist – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also included high-profile passengers.
The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.
Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who became 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,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a mission companion in the days following the landing.
She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she revealed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
The researcher, who has conducted studies in gynecological science and operated research during the flight, said every professional achievement – including her lab work and years of training to the symbolic importance of her background – was drowned out under the tide of misogyny.
She is best known for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.
Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.
A Path to Recovery
Months following achieving her goal, she has stated the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose messages of encouragement pulled her through. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.
She added that despite the negativity, considerable good had come out of the flight, such as increased focus on her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
The Historic Journey
The self-operating spacecraft departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a short trip that exceeded the Kármán line of space.
The group of women also included experts in multiple disciplines.
The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm founded by a well-known tech mogul.
