Astronaut Reveals Depression After ‘Tsunami of Backlash Post-Spaceflight
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up regarding her struggle with mental health after facing a relentless barrage of criticism in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space.
The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the brief journey to space in April, which also carried celebrity crewmates.
The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who challenged its value and ecological impact.
Reflecting on the situation, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the vicious response overshadowed her achievement under an “avalanche of misogyny”.
“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a social media post, referring to a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the period after the landing.
She portrayed the press attention and digital reaction as an barrage beyond typical human coping.
“I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed,” she confessed. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Eclipsed by Backlash
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and performed experiments during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her lab work and years of training to the historic significance of her background – was drowned out under the deluge of misogyny.
She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy protecting the rights of sexual assault survivors.
Her own aspiration for spaceflight was deferred after surviving a rape during her college days, leading to a protracted legal battle.
The Fog Begins to Lift
Months following reaching space, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the supporters whose kindness were her lifeline. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote.
She concluded that despite the negativity, considerable good had come out of the mission, including elevated attention for her women's health research and platforms for her activism.
About the Mission
The fully automated New Shepard rocket lifted off from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the Kármán line of space.
The group of women also included experts in multiple disciplines.
The company behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company launched by a Amazon founder.
