The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) has announced the opportunity to meet Sian Proctor, NASA astronaut, this Monday, June 10. The appointment is at its headquarters and is free to enter. Famous for being recognized as the first African-American to drive a spaceship, the space woman, who is also a poet and artist, will tell about her experience.
Who is Sian Proctor?
Sian Proctor is not the first African American to go to space, she is the fourth. But, she is the one first woman to pilot a commercial spacecraft and the only African American woman to be a mission pilot. She was born in Hagatna, Guam, in 1970. Since she was little, her father, scientist Edward Langley Proctor—who worked for NASA—encouraged her love for science.
Before becoming an astronaut, Proctor earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciencesa master’s degree in geology and a doctorate in Scientific Education. To date, she has spent 22 years teaching geology, sustainability, and planetary sciences at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona.
A very important trait to highlight about Sian Proctor is that she is artist and also a poet, in addition to his academic career. “I became an artist in the summer of 2020 and that earned me the prosperity position at Inspiration4. As a result, I was able to paint in space!” says the astronaut from her official website drsianproctor.com.
“Becoming an artist was not easy. I spent my entire career as a geosciences teacher and, in the wake of covid, I needed a creative outlet.so I became an Afrofuturism postcard artist,” she says. What Proctor did was make postcards with her art and open a Patreon account. For $10 a month, her followers received an inspiring postcard every 30 days.
Become an astronaut
An important step on his path to space was Proctor’s participation in analog missions, which are simulations where living and working conditions in space are recreated. The geologist completed missions in the Mars Desert Research Station, HI-SEAS in Hawaii, and the LunAres Habitat in Poland, among others. These experiences provided him with knowledge and skills essential for life in space, such as resource management and problem solving in extreme environments.
In 2021, Sian Proctor was selected to be a pilot for the space flight mission Inspiration4of SpaceX. She was chosen for her proposal that highlighted her work as an artist and her commitment to inclusion in the space industry. On that mission, she made history as the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft commercial.
Do not lose hope
Through her work, Sian Proctor seeks to motivate people around the world to use their unique strengths and passions to inspire themselves and those around them. Through her motto “Space2inspire”, she encourages the idea that every individual has the potential to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the world at large. She strongly believes in promoting a just, equitable, diverse and inclusive (JEDI) space both on Earth and in outer space, and uses her platform to advocate for inclusion and representation in the space industry.
“My father worked at the NASA tracking station during the Apollo missions. My father passed away when I was 19. So I never got to talk to him about all the crazy things he did during that time, how he contributed to the advancement of flights spacecraft,” said Sian Proctor in an interview with 12 News. “I think he would say, ‘Look, I told you you could do anything,’ because that’s what he said when I was little. Just put your mind to it, work hard and persevere. But the main thing is hope, do not lose hope“, he expresses.
Sian Proctor is the author of two books: Space2inspire: The Art of Inspiration and Meals for Mars.
