🔗 Share this article Crew Member Shares Emotional Distress Following ‘Tsunami of Backlash Following Journey The scientist and activist, a bioastronautics research scientist, was onboard the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space. The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also carried high-profile passengers. The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a public message, recalling a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the landing. She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”. “I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed,” she wrote. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Overshadowed by Sexism Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – from her lab work and extensive preparation to the historic significance of her background – was overshadowed under the tide of gendered attacks. She is most acclaimed for her pioneering work 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 long campaign for accountability. Finding Solid Ground Months following achieving her goal, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she acknowledged the supporters whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote. She added that even with the backlash, important benefits had emerged from the mission, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. About the Mission The fully automated New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the Kármán line of space. The team of pioneers also included leaders in different industries. The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm established by a well-known tech mogul.
The scientist and activist, a bioastronautics research scientist, was onboard the automated spacecraft in Spring 2025. A pioneering space traveler has publicly detailed her emotional downturn after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a landmark journey to the edge of space. The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the short-duration mission earlier this year, which also carried high-profile passengers. The high-profile flight was heavily criticized by some, who challenged its value and environmental footprint. Reflecting on the situation, Ms. Nguyen, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash eclipsed her moment under an torrent of sexist abuse. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a public message, recalling a check-in call from a mission companion in the period after the landing. She characterized the news reports and online discourse as an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure”. “I did not leave Texas for a week, unable to get out of bed,” she wrote. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Overshadowed by Sexism Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on female health science and operated research during the flight, said everything she had worked for – from her lab work and extensive preparation to the historic significance of her background – was overshadowed under the tide of gendered attacks. She is most acclaimed for her pioneering work 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 long campaign for accountability. Finding Solid Ground Months following achieving her goal, she reports that the heaviest sorrow is beginning to clear, and she acknowledged the supporters whose messages of encouragement helped save her. “Your support rescued me,” she wrote. She added that even with the backlash, important benefits had emerged from the mission, such as increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism. About the Mission The fully automated New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that crossed the Kármán line of space. The team of pioneers also included leaders in different industries. The enterprise behind the flight is a private space firm established by a well-known tech mogul.