Sian Proctor

Sian Hayley Proctor
Proctor in 2021
Born (1970-03-28) 28 March 1970 (age 54)
Hagåtña, Guam[1]
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Geology professor, and science communicator
Known for
Academic background
Education
ThesisCognitive process strategies and performance on a contour map memory test (2006)
Doctoral advisorSarah K. Brem
Academic work
DisciplineGeology and Science education
InstitutionsSouth Mountain Community College
Space career
Commercial astronaut
Time in space
2d 23h 3m
MissionsInspiration4
Websitedrsianproctor.com

Sian Hayley "Leo" Proctor (28 March 1970, Hagåtña, Guam) is an American commercial astronaut, geology professor, artist, author, and science communicator. She became the first female commercial spaceship pilot on the all-civilian Inspiration4 orbital spaceflight, 15 September 2021.[2][3][4] As pilot of the Inspiration4's SpaceX Crew Dragon space capsule, Proctor became the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft.[5] She was also the education outreach officer for the first Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Mission.[6] In 2024, Proctor was selected to be a U.S. Science Envoy for the United States Department of State.[7]

Since Inspiration4, Sian Proctor has become a noted Afrofuturist artist, poet and author.[8][9][10] Proctor is the first African American astronaut to paint in space.[11]

Proctor is a major in the Civil Air Patrol where she serves as the aerospace education officer for its Arizona Wing.[12]

  1. ^ "Certificate of Birth". Guam Memorial Hospital.
  2. ^ Davenport, Christian (15 September 2021). "They 'could be our neighbors,' and they're going to space. SpaceX gets ready to fly the Inspiration4 crew". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  3. ^ Hadfield, Chris. ""First Commercial Spaceship Female Pilot"". Twitter. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  4. ^ Connor, Holly J. (12 October 2021). "Dr. Sian Proctor, the First Black Woman to Pilot a Spacecraft, Makes History: "A Phoenix Rising"". msmagazine.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  5. ^ Chang, Kenneth (16 September 2021). "Sian Proctor is the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  6. ^ Proctor, Sian. "Doctor Proctor's Space 2 Inspire". p. Home. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Announcement of the 2024 Cohort of U.S. Science Envoys". whitehouse.gov. USA. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  8. ^ Reilly, Carly. "Dr. Sian Proctor on Afrofuturism, NFTs, Space & More | Overpriced JPEGs". bankless.hq. Bankless. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Space2inspire: An Orbital Perspective of Earth as a Geoscientist, Artist, and Poet". National Air & Space Museum. Smithsonian. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  10. ^ "LIVE BID! Seeker, Space-Flown World-Traveling Original Art Piece by Dr. Sian Proctor". charitybuzz.com. Charitybuzz. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  11. ^ Prlich, Donna. "Impact: Explore 2023 Shows How Planet Data Aims To Change The World". Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  12. ^ Thacker, Dawn (7 February 2012). "Profiles in Strengths: Sian Proctor, Ph.D." South Mountain Community College. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.