🔗 Share this article Space Traveler Shares Mental Health Struggle After ‘Tsunami of Harassment Following Journey Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was a passenger on the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in April, which also included well-known figures. The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred. “I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the flight. She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault. “Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she revealed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Buried Under Misogyny Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – from her studies and years of training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was overshadowed under the deluge of gendered attacks. She is best known for her tireless campaigning protecting the rights of victims of sexual violence. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a long campaign for accountability. 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 supporters whose kindness were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she said. She added that even with the backlash, considerable good had resulted from the mission, such as increased focus on her scientific work and platforms for her activism. The Historic Journey The fully automated New Shepard rocket lifted off from Texas in the spring, carrying the historic roster on a 11-minute journey that exceeded the Kármán line of outer space. The team of pioneers also comprised experts in various fields. The venture behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company established by a well-known tech mogul.
Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was a passenger on the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in April, which also included well-known figures. The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred. “I said the emotional pain might endure for years,” Ms. Nguyen stated in a public message, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the flight. She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault. “Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she revealed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Buried Under Misogyny Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – from her studies and years of training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was overshadowed under the deluge of gendered attacks. She is best known for her tireless campaigning protecting the rights of victims of sexual violence. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a long campaign for accountability. 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 supporters whose kindness were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she said. She added that even with the backlash, considerable good had resulted from the mission, such as increased focus on her scientific work and platforms for her activism. The Historic Journey The fully automated New Shepard rocket lifted off from Texas in the spring, carrying the historic roster on a 11-minute journey that exceeded the Kármán line of outer space. The team of pioneers also comprised experts in various fields. The venture behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company established by a well-known tech mogul.