Crew Member Shares Emotional Distress After Wave of Backlash Following Journey

A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her battle with depression after enduring a massive wave of online abuse in the aftermath of a historic all-female space mission.

The 34-year-old activist – celebrated as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the 11-minute suborbital flight earlier this year, which also included well-known figures.

The much-publicized journey was met with derision by some, who questioned its cost and environmental footprint.

Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who was celebrated as the first Vietnamese woman in space, stated the intense backlash overshadowed her achievement under an torrent of sexist abuse.

“I told her my depression might last for years,” she recounted in a online statement, describing a check-in call from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the flight.

She described the press attention and digital reaction as an barrage beyond typical human coping.

“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.”

Eclipsed by Backlash

The researcher, who has dedicated her work to women's health research and conducted tests during the flight, said every professional achievement – from her scientific research and years of training to the symbolic importance of her roots – was buried under the tide of sexist vitriol.

She is most acclaimed for her groundbreaking advocacy championing the cause of victims of sexual violence.

Her own aspiration for spaceflight was paused after being assaulted during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice.

The Fog Begins to Lift

Now, eight months after achieving her goal, she reports that the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she thanked the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement pulled her through. “You all saved me,” she said.

She added that even with the backlash, significant positive outcomes had emerged from the experience, including increased focus on her women's health research and platforms for her activism.

The Historic Journey

The fully automated New Shepard rocket departed its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that passed the Kármán line of space.

The team of pioneers also comprised accomplished professionals from multiple disciplines.

The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company launched by a Amazon founder.