{"id":4834,"date":"2024-10-10T10:26:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T10:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/us-china-collaboration-in-space-is-possible-sian-proctor\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T18:16:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T18:16:40","slug":"us-china-collaboration-in-space-is-possible-sian-proctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/us-china-collaboration-in-space-is-possible-sian-proctor\/","title":{"rendered":"US-China collaboration in space is possible,  Sian Proctor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>US-China collaboration in space is achievable, despite current geopolitical tensions, according to former astronaut and US Science Envoy. Sian Proctor, who made history as the first black woman to pilot a spacecraft, says that the collective effort of nations in constructing the International Space Station (ISS) demonstrates the immense potential for cooperative ventures in space. This collaboration serves as a model as humanity ventures back to the \u201cMoon, Mars, and beyond\u201d, she says.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with National Security News, Proctor highlighted that space has the unique ability to unite nations. She stressed the importance of recognising that, despite our differences, the fundamental aspirations of people worldwide are remarkably similar. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cEssentially, we\u2019re all the same. We all wish for a good life for ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities,\u201d she remarked, accentuating the shared goals that transcend national borders.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p><iframe title=\"US-China Collaboration in Space is Possible, Says Former Astronaut Sian Proctor\" width=\"801\" height=\"451\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qjdf_iKBhEo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>As an advocate of a \u2018JEDI future in space\u2019\u2014which stands for Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive\u2014Proctor envisions a collaborative and inclusive approach to space exploration. \u201cA lot of times we talk about space for everyone, but actually making space for everyone\u2014that\u2019s where Jedi space comes into play. To me, it\u2019s a Star Wars acronym with a Star Trek meaning\u2014the whole idea of boldly going together and take on this amazing new frontier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As a US Science Envoy, Proctor is on a drive to make space more accessible and want to inspire a younger generation to understand that whatever their interests are, it can lead to a career in space or even potentially going into space. She points out that the United States is a leader in the space industry, largely thanks to NASA\u2019s initiatives that have positioned the country for success through robust\u00a0\u00a0federal management.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe information is open source,\u201d she explains, emphasising that valuable resources, including satellite imagery, are widely accessible. \u201cWe currently face a job shortage, and I believe that if we rally around the idea of space for all, there is indeed enough room for everyone. We must work collaboratively to achieve that Jedi space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Proctor believes that increasing accessibility to space begins with inspiring educators to share their passion with students.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Her own inspiration stems from the Challenger disaster when she was a young teenager, seeing how the first teacher selected for a space mission affected her own career path. \u201cI wanted to help inspire kids to know that whatever your interests are, that can lead you to ,not only a career in space, but potentially also going to space,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Proctor also reflected on her time in space, sharing a transformative experience when she discovered the concept of \u2018earth light.\u2019 \u201cHumans are familiar with sunlight and moonlight, but nobody talks about earth light. While looking at our planet, it was illuminated and thought, \u2018Why is it so bright?\u2019 That\u2019s when I realised it was earth light,\u201d she recounted, drawing a parallel between astronauts\u2019 renewed perspective on life after their missions and her commitment to fostering a more united future for all.<\/p>\n<p>Inspired by her experiences and passion for space, Proctor creates Afrofuturism art that delves into themes of identity and humanity within the cosmic context. \u201cI wrote a poem called Space2Inspire and I had the incredible opportunity to paint in space while I was up there, using the theme of space as a black woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p><iframe title=\"Artist Astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor\" width=\"801\" height=\"451\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NNuGl4oTqNA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US-China collaboration in space is achievable, despite current geopolitical tensions, according to former astronaut and US Science Envoy. Sian Proctor, who made history as the first black woman to pilot a spacecraft, says that the collective effort of nations in constructing the International Space Station (ISS) demonstrates the immense potential for cooperative ventures in space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4834","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4834"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4838,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4834\/revisions\/4838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}