Crew Member Reveals Depression In the Wake of ‘Tsunami of Online Abuse Post-Spaceflight
A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her emotional downturn after enduring a “tsunami of harassment” in the aftermath of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also included celebrity crewmates.
The mission was widely scrutinized by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who became the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I told her my depression might last for years,” the astronaut shared in a online statement, recalling a phone call from a fellow crew member in the period after the journey.
She characterized the subsequent media coverage and social media frenzy as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she confessed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Buried Under Misogyny
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to female health science and performed experiments during the mission, said every professional achievement – including her lab work and extensive preparation to the personal milestone of her roots – was drowned out under the tide of gendered attacks.
She is best known for her tireless campaigning championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.
Her own goal of reaching space was paused after surviving a rape during her university years, leading to a long campaign for accountability.
A Path to Recovery
In the time since fulfilling her dream, she reports that the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she expressed gratitude the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.
She added that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the experience, such as elevated attention for her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
About the Mission
The self-operating New Shepard rocket departed Texas in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space.
The group of women also featured leaders in various fields.
The company behind the flight is a private space firm founded by a Amazon founder.
