🔗 Share this article Space Traveler Reveals Mental Health Struggle After ‘Tsunami of Backlash Post-Spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was a passenger on the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in Spring 2025. A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her battle with depression after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in April, which also featured celebrity crewmates. The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash buried her dreams under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, describing a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the landing. She portrayed the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy 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. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Overshadowed by Sexism Ms. Nguyen, who has conducted studies in women's health research and conducted tests during the mission, said all her lifelong efforts – from her studies and astronaut training to the historic significance of her heritage – was overshadowed under the deluge of sexist vitriol. She is widely recognized for her tireless campaigning protecting the rights of survivors of assault. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after being assaulted during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice. The Fog Begins to Lift Months following fulfilling her dream, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she thanked the supporters whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “Your support rescued me,” she affirmed. She noted that despite the negativity, important benefits had resulted from the flight, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. The Historic Journey The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space. The team of pioneers also featured accomplished professionals from different industries. The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm established by a well-known tech mogul.
Amanda Nguyen, a bioastronautics research scientist, was a passenger on the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in Spring 2025. A pioneering space traveler has spoken candidly about her battle with depression after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – known as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in April, which also featured celebrity crewmates. The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the intense backlash buried her dreams under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, describing a phone call from a mission companion in the days following the landing. She portrayed the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy 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. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Overshadowed by Sexism Ms. Nguyen, who has conducted studies in women's health research and conducted tests during the mission, said all her lifelong efforts – from her studies and astronaut training to the historic significance of her heritage – was overshadowed under the deluge of sexist vitriol. She is widely recognized for her tireless campaigning protecting the rights of survivors of assault. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after being assaulted during her university years, leading to a years-long quest for justice. The Fog Begins to Lift Months following fulfilling her dream, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she thanked the supporters whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “Your support rescued me,” she affirmed. She noted that despite the negativity, important benefits had resulted from the flight, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. The Historic Journey The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space. The team of pioneers also featured accomplished professionals from different industries. The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm established by a well-known tech mogul.