This Cancer Survivor Is All Set To Be The Youngest American In Space

She beat bone cancer at the age of 10, and now 29-year-old Hayley Arceneaux has joined the ranks of the first-ever all-civilian mission to space. She will occupy the seat of ‘Hope’ in this four-crew member team captained by Shift4 Payments founder and CEO, Jared Issacman, in the seat of ‘Leadership’.

Issacman, who is also an accomplished pilot, has donated the remaining two seats for the mission—prosperity, and generosity. In a post on Twitter, the billionaire tech entrepreneur wrote, “Meet commercial astronaut Hayley Arceneaux. She is an amazing person & I know she will be an inspiration to people all over the. Not just those w/ dreams of going to, but to all people who need hope when encountering life challenges. Hayley, welcome to @inspiration4x”.

Image Courtesy: Twitter/Jared Issacman (@rookissacman)

Arceneaux was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 10 at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where she is now a physician assistant and frontline worker. If that’s not all, Arceneaux will become the youngest American, first bone cancer survivor, and person with prosthetic leg bones to accomplish this endeavour.

During a press conference, she was quoted as saying that even the sky is not a limit anymore. “It's an incredible honour to join the Inspiration4 crew. This seat represents the hope that St. Jude gave me - and continues to give families from around the world, who, like me, find hope when they walk through the doors of St. Jude,” said Arceneaux.

Isaacman and Arceneaux will be joined by two contest winners that will occupy prosperity and generosity. Prior to the launch slated for the end of 2021, the crew will undergo training to be commercial astronauts, and will learn emergency preparedness protocols, as well as partial and full mission simulations, among other training prerequisites.

Image Courtesy: Twitter/Carlie Kollath Wells (@carlie_kollath)