On December 30, Amanda Nguyen, the first Vietnamese woman to fly into space, shared frankly on Instagram about the hidden corner behind the halo. She said she was mentally devastated because she became the target of an attack by a group of online communities right after the historic flight.
Last April, Amanda participated in an 11-minute flight with a full-female crew, including celebrities. However, this event faced strong negative reactions from the public due to concerns about environmental impacts and waste of resources.
Amanda said she had faced a large number of hostile and harassment comments unprecedented. Her professional achievements and dreams were completely overshadowed by harsh and gender-discriminatory insults on social networks.
The psychological consequences left behind were very large, making it impossible for her to leave the bed for a week after returning to Earth. A month after the event, she still burst into tears and could not speak when she received a phone call asking about her from a senior employee of Blue Origin.
In a conversation with journalist Gayle King, Amanda once admitted that this depression could last for many years. She felt like she had become an unwilling victim in the public war targeting the commercial flights of billionaires.
Previously, Amanda had to put aside her dream of becoming a astronaut after a sexual abuse incident during her student years to focus on fighting for justice. She said that having to brace herself against public pressure this time is a painful experience, rekindling old hurts.
However, after 8 months of sinking into crisis, Amanda said she has begun to recover thanks to encouragement from supporters. She especially emphasized the role of her roots and the affection of her hometown with the affirmation: "Vietnam saved me".
She wrote proudly about her family's journey of rise: "We came here on boats, and now we are on spaceships". For her, the image of the first Vietnamese woman flying into space is proof of life and hope.
Currently, Amanda has regained her balance and continues social activities. She affirmed that despite many controversies, the trip still brings value when it helps her have more voice and opportunities to fight for the rights of victims of sexual abuse.
