🔗 Share this article Crew Member Shares Depression Following ‘Tsunami of Harassment After Historic Trip Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was onboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after facing a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in the spring, which also included high-profile passengers. The mission was widely scrutinized by some, who challenged its value and ecological impact. Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a public message, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the flight. She described the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.” Overshadowed by Sexism The researcher, who has focused her career on 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 roots – was overshadowed under the deluge of sexist vitriol. She is best known for her tireless campaigning fighting for justice for survivors of assault. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after being assaulted during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice. A Path to Recovery Now, eight months after reaching space, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed. She added that even with the backlash, important benefits had come out of the mission, including increased focus on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders. Flight Details The self-operating spacecraft departed Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space. The diverse crew also comprised accomplished professionals from various fields. The company behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was onboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in April 2025. A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her struggle with mental health after facing a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – recognized as a researcher and activist – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight in the spring, which also included high-profile passengers. The mission was widely scrutinized by some, who challenged its value and ecological impact. Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a public message, recalling a phone call from a mission companion in the aftermath of the flight. She described the news reports and online discourse as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.” Overshadowed by Sexism The researcher, who has focused her career on 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 roots – was overshadowed under the deluge of sexist vitriol. She is best known for her tireless campaigning fighting for justice for survivors of assault. Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after being assaulted during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice. A Path to Recovery Now, eight months after reaching space, she has stated the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed. She added that even with the backlash, important benefits had come out of the mission, including increased focus on her women's health research and chances to influence leaders. Flight Details The self-operating spacecraft departed Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space. The diverse crew also comprised accomplished professionals from various fields. The company behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.