Space Traveler Shares Mental Health Struggle After Wave of Harassment After Historic Trip
A Vietnamese-American astronaut has spoken candidly about her battle with depression after facing a “tsunami of harassment” in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
The 34-year-old activist – known as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also carried high-profile passengers.
The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who cited its expense and environmental footprint.
Reflecting on the ordeal, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an landslide of gendered hatred.
“I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a social media post, describing a phone call from a mission companion in the aftermath of 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 wrote. “Even a month on, a phone call ended with me hanging up, weeping uncontrollably.”
Buried Under Misogyny
The researcher, who has focused her career on women's health research and performed experiments during the mission, said everything she had worked for – from her lab work and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her roots – was overshadowed under the deluge of sexist vitriol.
She is best known for her pioneering work protecting the rights of survivors of assault.
Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
The Fog Begins to Lift
Months following fulfilling her dream, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she thanked the well-wishers whose kindness were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she affirmed.
She added that amid the criticism, considerable good had come out of the experience, such as spotlight on her women's health research and new advocacy opportunities.
Flight Details
The self-operating New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in April, carrying the historic roster on a short trip that passed the edge of outer space.
The team of pioneers also featured experts in different industries.
The company behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company launched by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
