Space2Inspire: Dr. Sian Proctor | On Air S2E16

<p><strong>Meet Dr. Sian Proctor</strong><br>Born just after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, Sian calls herself a &quot;celebration baby&quot; — and that connection to space has shaped her path ever since, even when it wasn&#39;t a straight line to NASA. When NASA said no at age 39, she didn&#39;t give up. She became an analogue astronaut, kept pushing, and eventually earned her seat on Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit the Earth — becoming the first woman commercial spaceship pilot, the first Black commercial astronaut, and the first artist selected to become an astronaut.<br>Sian discovered art and poetry during COVID-19 as an outlet during one of the hardest periods of her life — and that creativity has become central to how she sees her role as a scientist and astronaut. Her artwork Seeker sold for $100,000, and her poem &quot;Space2inspire&quot; flew to space.<br>As founder and chief inspiration astronaut of Space2inspire, Sian is guided by her motto: &quot;space to inspire.&quot; She uses art and media to build a J.E.D.I. space — Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive — believing that concept matters as much on Earth as it does in space. With over 25 years of experience as a geoscientist and STEAM communicator, she teaches students from age 17 to 75 and continues reaching into new frontiers — from spaceflight to art to laser cutting to augmented reality.<br>🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.<br>📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast<br>#WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast</p>