Fairport graduate makes history as first Black woman to pilot spacecraft

FAIRPORT, N.Y. (WROC) — A Fairport High School graduate made space history on Wednesday, September 15.

Dr. Sian Proctor is a part of the Inspiration4 crew who took off for space Wednesday on a three day mission to orbit the earth. Proctor is an artist-educator and the fourth Black woman to fly in space, and she just so happened to go to Fairport High School.

"I am going to be the first Black female pilot of a spacecraft ever," Proctor said, "and to me that just blows me away and I wanna encourage the next generation to dream that this is possible and at Jedi Space that's what that's about."

I’ve be been waiting for this moment all my life. Thank you for all the well wishes & support. Let’s do this! ❤️????????‍????????????????#LaunchDay #Gratitude #Space2inspire @inspiration4x @SpaceX pic.twitter.com/lMy7z5FP4p

— Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor (@DrSianProctor) September 15, 2021

The rest of the crew is made up of billionaire Jared Isaacman, who chartered the mission, Chris Sembroski, an aerospace engineer, and Hayley Arceneaux, a childhood cancer survivor who was treated at St. Jude and is now a Physicians Assistant there.

The group aims to to raise $200 million dollars for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.