Sian Proctor

Sian Hayley "Leo" Proctor (March 28, 1970) is an American commercial astronaut, geology professor, artist, author, and science communicator. She became the first female commercial spaceship pilot and the first artist selected to go to be an astronaut on the all-civilian Inspiration4 orbital spaceflight, 15 September 2021. As pilot of the Inspiration4's SpaceX Crew Dragon space capsule, Proctor became the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft. Quotes Think about humanity’s connection to moonlight,” Proctor said. “We have love songs, poetry, werewolves, and more. Now imagine yourself being in space orbit, and getting all that energy from our planet. When I’m talking about space to inspire, it’s about this space — the space that made you, you,” she said. “How you use your space — your beautiful, unique space — to inspire yourself and those around you matters. I’m the fourth Black female from the United States to fly to space, only four of us. And out of the four that have gone, only one person has gone multiple times. I really want to have that message out there that, you know, you can become a pilot. You can go to the stars – but not only for people of color and girls of color, but also for us what I call seasoned individuals. You know, I’ve been chasing space my entire life, and it took me 50-plus years to get here, but I made it.” From my earliest memories, I wanted to be a pilot and an astronaut. I was born on Guam because my father worked at the NASA tracking station during the Apollo missions. Growing up with a father who helped put the first human on the moon fueled my fascination with space. Space is the ultimate frontier, and if we want to create a space-faring civilization, it must reflect the diversity of humanity. The J.E.D.I. space principles—Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion—ensure that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from space exploration. External links