🔗 Share this article Crew Member Reveals Emotional Distress In the Wake of ‘Tsunami of Backlash Post-Spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was a passenger on the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her emotional downturn after being subjected to a relentless barrage of criticism in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space. Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also included well-known figures. The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the negative reaction eclipsed her moment under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” the astronaut shared in a online statement, recalling a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the period after 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 confessed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.” Eclipsed by Backlash Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and operated research during the flight, said every professional achievement – including her studies and years of training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was drowned out under the avalanche of misogyny. She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of victims of sexual violence. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after being assaulted during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice. Finding Solid Ground In the time since reaching space, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose kindness pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she wrote. She concluded that even with the backlash, important benefits had resulted from the mission, such as elevated attention for her women's health research and platforms for her activism. About the Mission The fully automated New Shepard rocket launched from Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that passed the Kármán line of space. The group of women also featured accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines. The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a well-known tech mogul.
Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was a passenger on the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her emotional downturn after being subjected to a relentless barrage of criticism in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space. Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in the spring, which also included well-known figures. The high-profile flight was met with derision by some, who challenged its value and carbon footprint. Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who made history as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the negative reaction eclipsed her moment under an “avalanche of misogyny”. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” the astronaut shared in a online statement, recalling a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the period after 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 confessed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.” Eclipsed by Backlash Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and operated research during the flight, said every professional achievement – including her studies and years of training to the symbolic importance of her heritage – was drowned out under the avalanche of misogyny. She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of victims of sexual violence. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after being assaulted during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice. Finding Solid Ground In the time since reaching space, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose kindness pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she wrote. She concluded that even with the backlash, important benefits had resulted from the mission, such as elevated attention for her women's health research and platforms for her activism. About the Mission The fully automated New Shepard rocket launched from Texas in the spring, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that passed the Kármán line of space. The group of women also featured accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines. The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company established by a well-known tech mogul.