Dr. Sian Proctor is a visionary artist, futurist, and astronaut-explorer who made history as the first artist selected to go to space with the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission, also becoming the first African-American woman to pilot a spaceship.
Born on Guam to a father who worked at NASA’s tracking station during the Apollo missions, Proctor’s artistic vision has been shaped by a lifelong connection to space and Earth sciences. Today, her work bridges the worlds of science, space exploration, inspiration, and creative expression. She is the Chief Inspiration Astronaut at Space2inspire and founder of The Proctor Foundation for Art and Science.
Dr. Proctor is the first woman commercial spaceship pilot and the only African American woman to ever be a mission pilot. She is also 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 representing the Maricopa Community Colleges and, in 2024, was selected to serve as a U.S. Science Envoy with the State Department. Her motto is Space2inspire where she encourages people to use their unique strengths and passion to inspire themselves and those within their reach. She uses her unique artistic style and poetry to share her love of human spaceflight and to bring her EarthLight Overview Effect down to Earth. She believes we need to actively strive for a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive space (J.E.D.I. Space) both on Earth and beyond to ensure that we develop space for all of humanity.
