How does the entitlement we feel over the earth change when we look at it from outer space? SpaceX Inspiration4 Astronaut Sian Proctor is not only a pilot for the first all-civilian human spaceflight mission, but also a geology professor and science communicator. From material extraction to ownership of space infrastructure, the privatization and colonization of space brings up new discussions: what are the ecological and economic repercussions of exploration of space.
Sian Proctor (US)
Dr. Sian Proctor is a Geoscience Professor at the Maricopa Community Colleges, an Afrofuturism Artist and an Astronaut. She is the Chief Inspiration Astronaut of Space2inspire and founder of The Proctor Foundation for Art and Science. She was the mission pilot for SpaceX Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital mission. She is the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft, the first African American commercial astronaut and the first African American to paint in space. She is currently serving as a member of the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group. She is also one of The Explorer’s Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World. Her motto is Space2inspire where she encourages people to use their unique strengths and passion to inspire themselves and those within their reach. She believes that we need to actively strive for a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive (J.E.D.I.) space both on Earth and beyond. Dr. Sian Proctor is an Afrofuturism artist. She uses a collage art style to combine real-world concepts with future-driven themes and technology. She is the artist and explorer in residence at Arizona State University (ASU) and an XRts Fellow at the ASU Mix Center. She uses her Afrofuturism space art to encourage conversations about women of color in the space industry. She is also an analog astronaut and has completed four analog missions including the all-female SENSORIA Mars 2020 mission at the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Habitat, the NASA-funded four-month Mars mission at HI-SEAS, a two-week Mars mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), and a two-week Moon mission in the LunAres Habitat. She believes that when we solve issues for space, we also solve issues on Earth. She promotes sustainable food practices used in space exploration as a way to reduce food waste on Earth. She has a TEDx talk called Eat Like a Martian and was a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Program.