Photo: Courtesy of Hayley Arceneaux
As we enter the final stretch to launch, I’m welcoming the mandatory quarantine and rest. During this time, I’m very aware of where I am in time — how many days I have until launch, how much time I have left to get ready. But I feel so calm and excited.
While I was home, I spent a lot of time with my super fluffy, 3-year-old Aussiedoodle Scarlett — cooking, going for walks and watching old episodes of30 Rock. I called our astronaut operations lead at SpaceX the other day and asked if there was anything more specific I should have been doing, and she said to relax, which is exactly what NASA mission prelaunch requires. But truth be told, because I’m a type-A over-achiever, I have spent a lot of this time reviewing our study materials and medical procedures.
Hayley Arceneaux.Courtesy of Hayley Arceneaux
I’ve also been catching up with friends over the phone and sharing some of my experiences on social media. I recognize that I’m getting to do something almost no one else gets to do, and for me it’s my duty to share the experiences with the world. Instagram (@hayleyarc) is my social media of choice and Twitter (@ArceneauxHayley) is where I’ve been able to connect with the incredibly supportive space community.
Through Twitter I’ve also able to drive a lot of fundraising for St. Jude as part of the $200 million goal that’s been set for this mission. This past week,my personal fundraising pagereached its goal of $20,000 thanks to some amazing supporters, the majority of whom were strangers from Twitter.
Several astronauts I’ve spoken to say that the experience of seeing Earth from space changes them forever. It’s called the Overview Effect. It doesn’t happen to everyone, and I’ve wondered if I will experience it. In what ways will seeing Earth from space change me? What happens after we come back? One thing that’s unique to us as civilian astronauts is that instead of going up to do another mission after we return, or working for NASA, or retiring, we are writing a new chapter for space exploration and what we do will set a precedent. I know we will all stay in touch — we all talk everyday as it is, and we’ve gone through so much together to get to this point — but we’ll probably go back to our regular lives in some way or another.
Hayley Arceneaux’s dog Scarlett.Courtesy of Hayley Arceneaux
In the meantime, here are a few things I know for the moment: I plan on eating a glazed donut, my favorite kind, the morning of launch; I’ll be wearing my go-to red lipstick; and I’ll be launching into orbit with the memories of all my friends that didn’t make it through cancer, all the kids who are in the battle right now, and all the other survivors — in my mind and heart. It’s definitely not lost on me how lucky I am to be where I am.
Episodes ofCountdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Spaceare available on Netflix now.To learn . Jude Children’s Research Hospital, theInspiration4mission and ways you can support and participate, visitstjude.org/inspiration4andlisten to the podcastSt.Jude Mission of a Lifetime.Fans can also follow Hayley’s personal journey into space onInstagramandTwitter.
source: people.com
