The Inspiration4 orbital mission launched on 15 September 2021, carrying Sian Proctor as its pilot. By assuming this role aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, she secured her place in history as the first female commercial spaceship pilot and the first African American woman to operate a spacecraft during an orbital flight.
Early Background and Scientific Education
Born in Hagåtña, Guam, in 1970, Sian Proctor is the daughter of a UNIVAC engineer who worked for NASA during the Apollo era. After moving through various states, she settled in Fairport, New York, for high school. Her academic path included an undergraduate degree from PennWest Edinboro in 1992, followed by a master's degree in geology from Arizona State University in 1998. In 2006, she completed her PhD in science education.
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Proctor gained extensive experience in extreme environment simulations. In 2013, she served as the education outreach officer for the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation mission, focused on long-duration food strategies. She later participated in the PolarTREC program in 2014, studying climate change impacts in Barrow, Alaska. In 2016, she joined the Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program, and in 2017, she conducted fisheries research in the Bering Sea as part of the NOAA Teacher at Sea program.
Astronaut Selection and Commercial Spaceflight
Prior to her flight, Proctor was a finalist in the 2009 NASA Astronaut Selection Process, competing against over 3,500 applicants. Her selection for the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission followed an entrepreneur competition. During her intensive flight training, which included practice in a Cessna CitationJet CJ3 and a MiG-29, she adopted the call sign Leo. Since her 2021 mission, she has continued her public service as a U.S. Science Envoy, an appointment she received in 2024.
Artistic Practice and Science Communication
Proctor integrates her scientific background with Afrofuturist art, poetry, and digital media. Her work often references the concept of Earthlight, inspired by the reflection of light off the Earth during orbital flight. She became the first African American astronaut to paint in space. Beyond her artistic contributions, she is an aerospace education officer for the Civil Air Patrol in Arizona and an artist-in-residence at Arizona State University.
Fast facts
- Born: 1970, Hagåtña, Guam
- Education: PhD in Science Education, Arizona State University
- Spaceflight: Pilot, Inspiration4 (2021)
- Professional Titles: Geologist, Aircraft Pilot, Entrepreneur
- Selected U.S. Science Envoy: 2024
- Civil Air Patrol rank: Major
- Honorary Degree: Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Questions readers ask
Was Sian Proctor the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft?
Yes, she served as pilot for the Inspiration4 SpaceX Crew Dragon mission in 2021.
What is the focus of her artistic work?
She is a noted Afrofuturist artist whose work, which she calls AfroGaia, is frequently inspired by Earthlight phenomena.
Achievements
- Recorded as geologist, aircraft pilot and entrepreneur
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