Inspiration4 with Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor.

Summary

T-Minus Space Daily: Inspiration4 with Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor

Podcast Information:

• Title: T-Minus Space Daily
• Host/Author: N2K Networks
• Episode: Inspiration4 with Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor
• Release Date: February 1, 2025
• Description: This episode features an in-depth interview with Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor, the first female commercial spaceship pilot and an Inspiration4 astronaut. Dr. Proctor shares her extraordinary journey into space, her background as a geologist, artist, and science communicator, and her vision for the future of human spaceflight.

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Introduction

In this captivating episode of T-Minus Space Daily, host Maria Varmazes delves into the inspiring story of Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor, a multifaceted professional who seamlessly transitions from academia and art to becoming a pioneering astronaut aboard the Inspiration4 mission. The episode provides listeners with an enriching narrative that highlights the intersection of art, science, and human resilience in the realm of space exploration.

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Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor’s Background and Journey

Timestamp: [02:02]

Dr. Proctor begins by recounting her unexpected path to space. A geologist professor and artist, she navigated personal and professional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, while watching SpaceX's Demo-2 mission, Dr. Proctor found solace in creating space-themed art and poetry, which became her coping mechanism during a tumultuous period marked by divorce and financial hardship.

Notable Quote:

“I could have easily said, oh, they're never gonna take me... But instead, I just said, you know what? I'm gonna do this.”
— Dr. Cyan Proctor [04:05]

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Winning the Inspiration4 Seat

Timestamp: [02:35]

In early 2021, amidst the pandemic, SpaceX announced the first all-civilian mission to orbit, allowing participants to win a seat through various contests. Dr. Proctor entered by submitting a poem titled "Space to Inspire," which eloquently encapsulated her vision for an inclusive and diverse space future. Her poem not only demonstrated her artistic prowess but also her deep understanding of the societal implications of space exploration.

Notable Quote:

"It's a Star wars acronym, but it's a Star Trek meaning... As we're pushing back against DEI, you know, I feel like when it comes to the space industry, we really should be doubling down on the fact that humanity's going to the moon, Mars and beyond."
— Dr. Cyan Proctor [06:00]

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Training for the Mission

Timestamp: [09:01]

Upon winning the Prosperity seat as an artist and payload officer (PO), Dr. Proctor embarked on an intensive six-month training regimen at SpaceX headquarters. Despite her background in geosciences and limited piloting experience, her existing Cessna 172 license provided a foundation. The training encompassed rigorous simulations, emergency protocols, zero-gravity acclimatization, and systems engineering, ensuring she was mission-ready alongside experienced crew members.

Notable Quote:

“The training was amazing and intense... it was like a boot camp.”
— Dr. Cyan Proctor [09:01]

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Experience in Space

Timestamp: [17:18]

During the Inspiration4 mission, Dr. Proctor describes the thrill and serenity of space travel. From the adrenaline-pumping launch to the awe-inspiring moments of floating in zero gravity, every aspect of the journey was meticulously managed. As the mission pilot, her role involved maintaining situational awareness and supporting the commander, Jared Isaacman. Dr. Proctor highlights the smoothness of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent, contrasting it with the dramatic portrayals seen in films.

Notable Quote:

“It was super, super smooth compared to what I thought it was going to be.”
— Dr. Cyan Proctor [17:18]

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Earthlight and Artistic Insights

Timestamp: [20:26]

One of the most profound experiences for Dr. Proctor was witnessing "Earthlight"—the unique glow of Earth from space. This revelation not only deepened her appreciation for our planet's delicate balance but also fueled her artistic expression. She emphasizes the transformative impact of seeing Earth from orbit, drawing parallels to the "overview effect" experienced by many astronauts, which fosters a sense of global interconnectedness and environmental stewardship.

Notable Quote:

“I was being bathed in Earthlight... it fundamentally was, I believe, a driving force for the overview effect.”
— Dr. Cyan Proctor [21:58]

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Vision for Future Spaceflight

Timestamp: [23:36]

As the episode draws to a close, Dr. Proctor shares her visionary message for the future of human spaceflight. She advocates for a "Jedi space"—a space environment that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive. Dr. Proctor underscores the importance of integrating the arts with STEM to foster creativity and holistic problem-solving in space exploration. Her overarching philosophy is that by solving challenges in space, humanity simultaneously addresses sustainability and resilience on Earth.

Notable Quote:

“We get to actively design humanity's future in space... solving for space is solving for Earth and that we're making ourselves more sustainable in the future.”
— Dr. Cyan Proctor [23:36]

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Conclusion

Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor's journey from a geologist and artist to a trailblazing astronaut epitomizes the limitless possibilities that arise when passion, resilience, and creativity converge. Her participation in the Inspiration4 mission not only advances commercial spaceflight but also champions a more inclusive and holistic approach to exploring the cosmos. Through her experiences and insights shared in this episode, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the human spirit's capacity to adapt, inspire, and transform both in space and on Earth.

Final Notable Quote:

“Sending us out on the explorer's path... but don't forget the arts, the heartbeat of time.”
— Dr. Cyan Proctor [04:38]

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This summary captures the essence of Dr. Cyan Proctor's inspiring narrative as presented in the February 1, 2025 episode of T-Minus Space Daily. For those seeking to understand the human dimensions of space exploration, this episode serves as a testament to the intertwined nature of science, art, and human resilience.

Transcript

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

You're listening to the N2K space network.

[Dave]

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[Maria Varmazes]

There are many pathways into the space industry. Now more than ever. Over 200,000 people work in space in the United States alone. But there are always some stories that just stand out in the crowd. So how can one go from being a geology professor and an artist to being an author, a science communicator, and, oh yeah, the first female commercial spaceship pilot during the pandemic? Well, we're about to find out. Welcome to T Minus Deep Space from N2K Networks. I'm Maria Ramazas. Dr. Cyan Leo Proctor was the keynote speaker at Space Spacecom 2025. And I caught up with the Inspiration4 astronaut to find out about her amazing journey into space and how it inspires her art here on Earth.

[Jared Isaacman]

Hi, welcome to T Minus Space Daily from Commercial Space Week. And with me is our VIP, Dr. Cyan Proctor. I am so glad to meet you in person. After we chatted, just not that long ago. Thank you for joining me this morning.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

It's a real pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.

[Jared Isaacman]

Oh, my gosh. The pleasure is ours. Thanks again. Oh, my goodness. So last time we spoke, you know, I got some really important feedback that I didn't really talk to you about. So I really. I'm just. I kind of want to live vicariously through you this morning as much as one can for such an amazing experience. Can we walk through the whole journey?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yeah. You know, it was really out of the blue. I don't think anybody saw this coming because, you know, in 2020, it's the pandemic. I'm home. And in May of 2020, I'm watching Bob and Doug with the Return to flight at the US with demo 2. And we're all cheering that on, right? Yeah. And I had no clue a year later, I'd be training for my own space mission.

[Jared Isaacman]

Wow.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

And so right after that, right after Bob and Doug launched and SpaceX started their human launch commercial side, I became a space artist. So I'm Living at home. It was my coping mechanism. So I started doing space art and poetry because I was also, I think, a lot of people, you know, the pandemic, kind of a lot of us. Yeah. And so I was going through a divorce. And then at the end of 2020, you know, I'm broke. I'm living with my brother. I'm, you know, trying to get my life back together. And then coming into 2021, just about a year going into the pandemic, they announced the first all civilian mission to orbit that you can win a seat to space. And I was really fortunate because I won the prosperity seat as an artist and a PO. In March of 2021, I started training, and six months later, I launched into space for three days with Inspiration4.

[Jared Isaacman]

That. What? Okay, just the macro of that. The journey is just incredible. You never know where life's gonna take you.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Truly, you don't. You don't know. And you just gotta be open to the opportunity. I mean, I could have easily said, oh, they're never gonna take me, or, you know, there's too many people that have entered this contest or a lot of ways of talking yourself out of opportunity. But instead, I just said, you know what? I'm gonna do this. I found my authentic voice as an artist and a poet. So I am going to write this poem called Space to Inspire.

[Jared Isaacman]

Do you remember the poem offhand?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

I do.

[Jared Isaacman]

Can you recite it?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yeah. Oh, my gosh, I can. Do you want the whole thing or do you want to. It's about two minutes.

[Maria Varmazes]

I would love the whole thing, if.

[Jared Isaacman]

You don't mind indulging me.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

No. And so it was really interesting time, right, because thinking about how to create a message through poetry that could resonate for the future. And I grew up a huge Star wars and Star Trek fan and thinking about how we boldly go together. And so this is Space to inspire the poem that won me a seat to space. You've got space. I've got space. We all have space to inspire. That's why we dream of going higher and higher. But what is space if you can't breathe? Let's stop sucking out the air of our humanity. We have a moment to seize the light Earth from space both day and night. We have J for justice to ignite the bold. We have E for equity to cut past the old. We have D for diversity to end the fight. We have I for inclusion to try to make it right A Jedi space to rally behind a universal force so big it binds inspiration to change the World, a new beginning for us to hold. It's not about you, it's not about me. It's about space. To inspire for all of humanity. Science, technology, engineering and math. Sending us out on the explorer's path. But don't forget the arts, the heartbeat of time. Consider sending a poet who knows how to rhyme. So let us drop the mic and close the capsule door, but Please make sure Dr. Proctor is on board. My space to inspire is what we need inspiration for. For all of humanity. And, yeah, I wrote that poem, by the way, and thank you. And, like, poured out. I felt like my ancestors were like, here you go. You know, and that just kind of poured out of me. And it's a Star wars acronym, but it's a Star Trek meaning. And that whole idea of. Especially as we're pushing back against dei, you know, I feel like when it comes to the space industry, we really should be doubling down on the fact that humanity's going to the moon, Mars and beyond. And we get to choose how we do that. And if we're gonna create space for all, then the foundation of that should be just equitable, diverse and inclusive. There's nothing wrong with that, because we all want that Star Trek feature.

[Jared Isaacman]

I know I certainly do. And certainly I really appreciate you saying that, because space belongs to everyone. Yeah, it really does.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yeah. It's not just for the highly qualified. Like, that's. That's. To me, it's like, no, no. We want. You know, and this is one of the things that I love about commercial space and being here is that we are. We can write that narrative of human spaceflight, and we want everybody to go. We want everybody of different sizes and different backgrounds. I mean, if it's. If highly qualified is the only measure of human success, then, you know, we leave out people in all kinds of categories because we don't consider particularly like the arts to be highly qualified, you know, for this. And that's just. We're missing the beauty and the creativity and the inspiration that makes us human.

[Jared Isaacman]

Yes. And as this phrase often goes, they should have sent a poet.

[Maria Varmazes]

And they did.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yes.

[Jared Isaacman]

And they did. I'm sure you're thinking of hearing that.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

While I was in space, I literally say that. I go, I'm floating and the earth's behind me. And I'm like, oh, they should have sent a poet. And I go, they did. It's a real honor to be the first artist selected to go to space.

[Jared Isaacman]

On behalf of all the artists who are cheering you on, I'm so glad that One of us was there. It just makes me, as I think I told you last time we spoke, your mission especially was very resonant with so many of us who were at home watching you. I was with a three year old and just dreaming of just again, the inspiration of it. I was like, oh my God, I'm getting a little overcomp thinking about it. But anyway, tell me a bit about the training that you went through because this is always fascinating to me too.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

The training was amazing and intense. So you can imagine, you know, it's a contest and you've written a poem, you're trying to go as an artist, then you get on a zoom call and there's Jared Isaac, man, the most amazing human. And he's like, yeah, we picked a winner and it's you. And then he doesn't mess around. And Jared's like, yeah, and I want you to be my mission pilot. And you're, you know, in your head you're like, does he know that I've only flown a Cessna 172? And then you're like, yeah. And you're like, okay, I don't know what that means, but sure, I'll be your mission pilot. And then you go and you're whisked off to SpaceX headquarters and Hawthorne and you really start digging into what that is. And so training, we do all the same training that NASA astronauts do for, are required to do for SpaceX. But you know, and the typical things, you know, we do hyperbolic chamber, we do, we do zero g, we do crew cohesion, we do, you know, jet fighter, jet training, all of those things that you think about. But as a mission pilot, I now have six months to become a systems engineer. And I love SpaceX because they're like, yeah, you know, I like to refer to it as like, you want to contest the space. You know, you're kind of like this yahoo coming in, you know, you're not going to be the mission pilot unless you qualify because it's safety first, right?

[Jared Isaacman]

Of course, of course. One would hope so, right?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yes. And so they're probably thinking like, okay, you know, we, here's a proving ground that we can take somebody who's non military, non NASA and in six months we can get them flight qualified to be the mission pilot. And that's what SpaceX did. I'm a geoscience professor. That means, you know, I teach about rocks and earth processes. I'm not an engineer. But what Space SpaceX did was they created a program to get me to know the terminology to understand the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft, to learn all the emergencies and contingencies. Having my pilot's license helped me get there. You know, it gave me the confidence and gave me the confidence to know that I could get myself there.

[Jared Isaacman]

That's incredible. It's like a boot camp.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

It was. It literally was. But you can imagine me coming in and I'm like, wait, what? Stacks of books of engineering and just knowledge and procedures. And you go again. Me and Jared spend a lot of time together in a simulator going through all the emergencies and the procedures again and again and again so that you, you know, you've got it dialed in just like a NASA astronaut. Foreign.

[Maria Varmazes]

We'Ll be right back after this quick break.

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[Jared Isaacman]

Okay, and to me, it also speaks a lot to what SpaceX has done with their engineering and that it's sort of you all can meet in the middle in that way that like reduction of complexity, but also your training meets.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Absolutely. And that's why it's really, that's why I say as the mission pilot, I really become a systems engineer. I am watching what the flight computer's doing. I understand if something goes wrong, what we can and cannot do as a crew, and my job fundamentally becomes added situational awareness for my commander.

[Jared Isaacman]

Absolutely. That makes a lot of sense. So I gotta get to the big question about, okay, the launch, everything. So how can you even walk someone through it who has been, who has never been? I'm just so curious, but can you try?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yeah. It is the most amazing day of your life. You know, you go and you get up, you have breakfast with your family one last time and your friends. And I love the fact that when we came out of the SpaceX hangar, all of our family and friends were lined up and we got to kind of say that last goodbye and walk through.

[Jared Isaacman]

How did that feel?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Oh, I was so excited. You were so happy.

[Jared Isaacman]

Just excited?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Oh, yeah.

[Jared Isaacman]

Not scared? I don't scared.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

You know, that's the number one question is the day of launch when I'm strapped into the Dragon capsule and I'm getting ready to lift off on this beautiful rocket, am I afraid? And I always say, no, I was ready. I was ready to go. All right, I was excited. And when I give my keynotes, I walk people through this experience and just let them know I had been chasing space my entire life and I was more terrified that I would lose the opportunity. I have it taken away like medical, were they going to find something wrong with me? You know, it's Covid, you can't get sick, you can't get hurt. You know, what if you had gotten broken a leg or something? Like, you know, these are just things that I just think about, like, am I going to make it to that day where I get to lift off? And so when you or will I not qualify as the mission pilot? You know, I've got six months and what if I fall short? And they say, sorry, you know, we don't think that you're, you're qualified. These are all things that you're terrified of. Happening. So by the time you get there and they're, like, strapping your end, you're like, light this sucker. We're ready to go.

[Jared Isaacman]

I'm here.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

I made it. Yeah, you're like, I made it. Like, you're, like, made it. Let's do it.

[Jared Isaacman]

Yeah, that magic moment. All right, so can you walk me through those moments? Like, okay, you're in. You're about to lift off. What is that kick? What does that feel like?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Oh, it's great. You know, you're counting down because the next thing, you're sitting in the rocket, you don't want to scrub. And then you realize, you know, they're counting down to zero. And you're just, you know, you've got this huge grin on your face, and, you know, and you're just kind of sitting there and you're waiting. And it's amazing because you feel the rocket roared to life. And I literally say, it roars to life. You're on a dragon and you're going to space, and you get pushed back. And then mission pilot, me and Jared laser focused on the job. Chris and Haley, as the mission specialist, kind of got to sit back and enjoy the ride and really take those sensations in. But, man, I as a mission pilot, you know, first black woman to pilot a space pilot a spaceship.

[Jared Isaacman]

Yes, indeed.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

I'm not effing this up, you know, I'm just gonna say it. Like, you're, like, laser focused on the job. And so for me, what I did notice was one, it wasn't as shaky like on tv. In the movies, they show you kind of violently shaking. They got that Falcon 9 dialed in. Really, really. It's kind of like going down a bumpy road. And I could read my flight monitors no problem. Wow. Like, it was. It was super, super smooth compared to what I thought it was going to be. And then you can, you know, you go through your stages, and every stage, you know, Jared's calling out your location as you're hitting these different stages, and I'm watching the flight computer, and then, you know, 10 minutes later, you're in space and literally, you do this. Your hands just float up and you're like, oh, yeah, this is cool. You know, you're seeing the zero G indicator, which for us was a St. Jude therapy dog. Right?

[Jared Isaacman]

That's right.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

And it's floating around and you're like this. And you're like, wow, you know, we made it. But again, then you've got next things to happen as the mission pilot and of course, Jared as The commander, you're. You've got all of these, like, system checkouts and things. Yeah. You're busy. Yeah. And then you're rearranging your orbit. You know, we were hired in the International Space station. We're about 585km up, and you're just kind of, like, amazed that you're there. And then you get the opportunity to get out of your spacesuit. And I remember, like, Haley basically slid out and started tumbling, and I was out of mind. And I was kind of like, that looks fun. But my stomach was like, eh, you don't really want to do that right now. So you get biology doing its thing, space adaptation. And a lot of times people are like, well, I get sick and stuff. It's not. You definitely have fluid shifts, and people will have different degrees of that. And so for me, it was that slight, like, nausea where you'd kind of like, oh, I don't feel my best. But not enough to throw up. And that's when I highly recommend anybody better living through chemistry. Just take medicine. Because a half hour later, I felt fine, and I didn't have to worry about throwing up or any of that. And then I could really settle in and enjoy being in space for the next three days.

[Jared Isaacman]

And then we talked about Earth light.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yes.

[Jared Isaacman]

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. So I'm gonna refer people to our previous conversation where we talked about this before.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Definitely.

[Jared Isaacman]

But it was really magical hearing you describing that.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yeah. That was why people are like, well, did transform you. Yes. I discovered something new for myself, something that most of us don't have a clue about. Like, we learn about sunlight, we learn about moonlight, but nobody learns about Earthlight. And it's is fundamentally what makes life exist. If our planet didn't strip sunlight down and reduce most of that radiation, life would not exist. It fundamentally takes sunlight and transforms it into Earthlight. And we live in Earthlight, and it's the most beautiful light there is.

[Jared Isaacman]

I just want to soak in that for a second because it's just such a profound thought, and I'm feeling very inelegant to say, and I want to change topics.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Well, I will just end by saying, you know, it took humanity, like, I had to go out into space to discover Earthlight for myself. And it's that idea of a fish in water. Does a fish know it's in water until it jumps out of the water, you know? And for me, that was my moment, going to space, realizing that I was being bathed in Earthlight and being like, whoa. And I think as an artist, because a lot of astronauts have gone to space. You know, they talk about the Earth globe, but I literally realized that I was being bathed in Earth light, and that that fundamentally was, I believe, a driving force for the overview effect.

[Jared Isaacman]

I completely believe it. And so much about your journey also sounds like a rebirth. Like, you really are a phoenix that just rose from so much.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Oh, so much.

[Jared Isaacman]

Oh, my goodness. Yeah, it's like baptized in Earthlight, honestly.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Is what it really. It all should be.

[Jared Isaacman]

I hope, one day for me as well.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Well, we technically are every day when we walk outside, but we don't realize it. That's true. And we live in a world of reflected, beautiful light, and our planet is really special.

[Jared Isaacman]

It truly is. I'm so sorry to be inelegant about this, but we're talking about Earth light. And I have to bring us to your incredible shirt, which I know I feel like I want to make sure I hold it up for the camera. Aw, it's beautiful.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Thank you.

[Jared Isaacman]

This is mine. So I bought this one specifically because I wanted to show it, like, I have it. I would love for you to sign it if you have a moment.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

I would love to. And so this design here, this is one of my X knots, so I call them my Zen knots, actually, so. Because they're finding Zen in the cosmos. And this one particularly, I call Faith Knot. And the reason why I put it on the T shirt is that I have faith in us, in humanity, to go out and, you know, advance human space flight for the purpose of making the Earth more sustainable. And so for a long time, one of my sayings has been solving for space is solving for Earth.

[Jared Isaacman]

Absolutely. And there's that beautiful Earth light also, Right?

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yeah.

[Jared Isaacman]

It's gorgeous.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yes.

[Jared Isaacman]

So I was thinking. I was like. That was the segue I'm trying to make, like, Earth light. Yeah. See, it's a gorgeous, gorgeous shirt. And we're here at spacecom, and this is one of the many beautiful things that you have made for spacecom. And just before we close out, because I know we're running short on time, I know you're about to give a keynote shortly. Kind of maybe a thumbnail version of what your message is for spacecom while you're here.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Yeah. You know, my big message is that we get to actively design humanity's future in space. And what I encourage us all to do is strive for that Jedi space, that just equitable, diverse, and inclusive space, so that we can, you know, be a role model for what we want, life on Earth. To be like and that, you know, all that technology and innovation that we're putting into the advancement of human spaceflight, on the fact that as we're solving for space, we're solving for Earth and that we're making ourselves more sustainable in the future and encouraging everybody to let their Earth light shine. It's beautiful.

[Jared Isaacman]

Thank you so much for your wonderful message.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Thank you.

[Jared Isaacman]

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me again. I really appreciate it.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Thank you for having me.

[Jared Isaacman]

It was an honor meeting you in person.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Thank you so much for joining me today.

[Maria Varmazes]

That's it for T Minus Deep Space, brought to you by N2K CyberWire. We'd love to know what you think of this podcast. You can email [e-mail] or submit the survey in the show notes. Your feedback ensures that we deliver the information that keeps you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry. T Minus Deep Space is produced by Alice Carruth. Our associate producer is Liz Stokes. We're mixed by Elliott Peltzman and Trey Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our executive producer is Jennifer Ivan. Our executive editor is Brandon Karp. Simone Petrella is our president, Peter Kilby is our publisher and I am your host, Maria Varmazes. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time.

[Dr. Cyan Proctor]

Foreign.

[Alice Carruth]

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