Crew Member Reveals Emotional Distress Following Wave of Online Abuse After Historic Trip
A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her battle with depression after being subjected to a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight.
The 34-year-old activist – recognized as a scientist and civil rights advocate – was part of the brief journey to space earlier this year, which also included well-known figures.
The high-profile flight was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact.
Reflecting on the experience, the astronaut, who made history as the pioneer for her community, stated the negative reaction 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, describing a supportive conversation from a mission companion in the period after the landing.
She portrayed the news reports and online discourse as an unprecedented psychological assault.
“For a full week, I was bedridden and couldn't leave my Texas location,” she wrote. “Weeks after, I was forced to terminate a call, my voice choked by tears.”
Overshadowed by Sexism
The researcher, who has dedicated her work to gynecological science and performed experiments during the flight, said everything she had worked for – including her studies and extensive preparation to the historic significance of her background – was buried under the tide of gendered attacks.
She is most acclaimed for her pioneering work fighting for justice for sexual assault survivors.
Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was deferred after surviving a rape during her time as a student, leading to a years-long quest for justice.
A Path to Recovery
Months following fulfilling her dream, she reports that the “fog of grief has started to lift”, and she expressed gratitude the followers whose messages of encouragement pulled her through. “You were my salvation,” she affirmed.
She noted that even with the backlash, considerable good had emerged from the experience, including elevated attention for her scientific work and platforms for her activism.
The Historic Journey
The computer-piloted New Shepard rocket launched from its launch site in April, carrying the six-woman crew on a brief suborbital flight that exceeded the Kármán line of space.
The group of women also featured experts in different industries.
The venture behind the mission is a commercial aerospace company founded by a Amazon founder.
