As a child, she beat bone cancer. Now she's headed into space. | Inquirer Technology

As a child, she beat bone cancer. Now she’s headed into space.

/ 09:28 PM February 26, 2021

As a child, she beat bone cancer. Now she's headed into space.

A Falcon 9 rocket is displayed outside the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) headquarters on January 28, 2021, in Hawthorne, California. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)

Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux is thrilled to be going into space.

As a crew member on SpaceX’s Inspiration4, the world’s first all-commercial astronaut mission to Earth’s orbit, Arceneaux hopes that as the first person to go into space with a prosthesis, she can inspire others.

Article continues after this advertisement

“This mission is opening up space travel to anyone and I think that in itself is going to motivate people and give them so much hope,” said the vivacious 29-year-old.

FEATURED STORIES

At 10, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, and was treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Arceneaux relates how she spent a difficult yet meaningful year in hospital undergoing chemotherapy, and then surgery that replaced part of her femur with a prosthesis.

Article continues after this advertisement

She credits the hospital with saving her life and now works there as a physician’s assistant.

Article continues after this advertisement

SpaceX, owned by Tesla founder Elon Musk, is targeting the four-person mission for the fourth quarter of 2021 and it is expected to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The flight will be captained by Jared Isaacman, CEO of payments technology firm Shift4Payments, who chose Arceneaux.

Article continues after this advertisement

Unlike the NASA and SpaceX flights that go to the International Space Station, this one will travel around the earth for several days, during which time Arceneaux said she expects to participate in science experiments.

Her prosthesis would normally preclude someone from passing the astronaut’s rigorous medical exam, but no such requirement exists for the private flight. Arceneaux said she is not scared and has been medically cleared for the trip.

Article continues after this advertisement

Encouraging the children at the St. Jude hospital was first on her mind when Arceneaux was asked what she might aim to achieve in space.

“We are going to try to set up a video call with the St. Jude kids,” she said. “I hope that being able to see me in space really shows them what their future can look like.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

“I’m the first St. Jude patient to go to space, the first pediatric cancer survivor, but I know I’m not going to be the last,” she added excitedly.

TOPICS: Earth, Elon Musk, Hayley Arceneaux, Inspiration4, Orbit, Space, SpaceX, Tesla
TAGS: Earth, Elon Musk, Hayley Arceneaux, Inspiration4, Orbit, Space, SpaceX, Tesla

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.