Sian Proctor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sian Hayley Proctor
Proctor in 2021
Born	(1970-03-28) 28 March 1970 (age 55) Hagåtña, Guam
Nationality	American
Education	Arizona State University, PhD in Science Education (2006) Arizona State University, M.S. in Geology (1998) Edinboro University, B.S. in Environmental Science (1992)
Occupation	Geology professor, and science communicator
Known for	Private astronaut aboard Inspiration4 Science communicator Artist Author/poet Media personality
Scientific career
Institutions	South Mountain Community College
Thesis	Cognitive process strategies and performance on a contour map memory test (2006)
Doctoral advisor	Sarah K. Brem
Space career
Commercial astronaut
Time in space	2d 23h 3m
Missions	Inspiration4

Sian Hayley "Leo" Proctor (born March 28, 1970, in Hagåtña, Guam) is an American commercial astronaut, geology professor, artist, author, and science communicator. She made history as the first female commercial spaceship pilot. This happened on the all-civilian Inspiration4 orbital spaceflight on September 15, 2021.

As the pilot of the Inspiration4's SpaceX Crew Dragon space capsule, Proctor became the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft. She also worked as an education officer for the first Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Mission. In 2024, Proctor was chosen to be a U.S. Science Envoy for the United States Department of State.

Since her space mission, Sian Proctor has become a well-known Afrofuturist artist, poet, and author. She is also the first African American astronaut to paint while in space. Proctor is a major in the Civil Air Patrol. There, she helps with aerospace education for the Arizona Wing.

Life and Education

Sian Proctor was born on March 28, 1970, in Hagåtña, Guam. Her parents were Edward Langley Proctor Jr. and Gloria Deloris. Her father was an engineer for NASA during the Apollo program. He worked at the Guam Remote Ground Terminal. Sian is the youngest of four children. She has two brothers, Edward Langley Proctor III and Christopher, and a sister, Robyn Selent.

After the Moon landings, Sian's family moved to Minnesota. Later, they moved to different states in the Northeast as her father changed jobs. When she was 14, her family moved to Fairport, New York. She later graduated from Fairport High School there.

Sian studied at Arizona State University. She earned a degree in environmental sciences. In 1998, she got a master's degree in Geology. In 2006, she completed her PhD in Science Education. That same year, Proctor also earned her pilot's license.

She is a member of the Association of Space Explorers. In December 2022, she was chosen to be part of the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group. For her training as a pilot for the Inspiration4 flight, she trained in a Cessna CitationJet CJ3 and a MiG-29.

In 2022, she received an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In 2023, she took part in the space camp Space 2101 at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Space Career

2009 NASA Astronaut Selection

Proctor was a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Selection Process. She was one of 47 finalists chosen from over 3,500 people who applied. However, she was not one of the nine astronaut candidates selected that year.

Inspiration4 crew visiting the Johnson Space Center at NASA

Inspiration4 Mission Pilot

Proctor went to space as a commercial astronaut and pilot for the Crew Dragon orbital spaceflight mission Inspiration4. This mission launched on September 15, 2021. She earned her spot, called the Prosperity seat, by winning an entrepreneur competition. During her flight training, she was given the call sign Leo.

She flew with Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, and Chris Sembroski. This was the first space mission with only civilians (non-government astronauts). In August 2021, she was featured on the cover of a Time magazine issue with the rest of the Inspiration4 crew.

2024 U.S. State Department Science Envoy

As a scientist-astronaut, Proctor was chosen to be a U.S. Science Envoy in 2024. She represents the United States Department of State's effort to promote the peaceful use of space around the world. Her role is to connect with foreign researchers, promote space science education, and show how important space science is to society. The 2024 group of U.S. Science Envoys is the first time only women have been chosen for this program.

Career in Science Education

HI-SEAS (2013)

Proctor worked as an education officer for the NASA-funded Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) mission. The goal of this mission was to study food strategies for long space flights to the Moon or Mars.

During the four-month simulation, Discover Magazine hired Proctor as a photographer. She took pictures for Kate Greene's article Simulating Mars on Earth. She also filmed the Meals for Mars YouTube series while living in the Mars simulation.

PolarTREC (2014)

In 2014, she was chosen as a PolarTREC teacher. This program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), connects teachers with scientists. These scientists do research in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. As part of this program, she spent a month in Barrow, Alaska. She learned about historical ecology and how climate change affects the coastline and community.

Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) (2016)

In 2016, she became an ACEAP Ambassador. This program, also from the National Science Foundation (NSF), sends educators to U.S. astronomy facilities in Chile. In the summer of 2016, she joined eight other ambassadors. They visited Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), Gemini South Observatory, and the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA).

Proctor returned to San Pedro, Chile, in 2017. There, she worked on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education activities. She worked with the local high school and the community.

NOAA Teacher at Sea (2017)

She took part in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Teacher at Sea program in 2017. This program started in 1990. It gives teachers research experience working at sea. For three weeks, she studied pollock fish in the Bering Sea. She worked on the fisheries vessel Oscar Dyson. She wrote about her experience for the NOAA blog.

Science Communication

Sian Proctor during the space camp Space 2101 at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in 2023

Sian Proctor is an international speaker. She talks about science education, leadership, space simulations, sustainable foods, and diversity in science. She has also given several TEDx Talks.

Art

Proctor has been an artist, painter, and poet her whole life. She is a well-known Afrofuturist artist. She creates digital art, multi-media art, and paintings. Proctor is known for her art that shows connection and the divine. She calls this style AfroGaia. After her spaceflight, her art often shows something called Earthlight (astronomy). This is when sunlight reflects off Earth and back into space. It shines on spacecraft and astronauts in orbit. She is an artist-in-residence at Arizona State University. While on the orbiting Crew Dragon spaceship, she became the first African-American to paint in space.

Filmography

Dr. Proctor has appeared in many television series and documentaries.

See also

In Spanish: Sian Proctor para niños