BOULDER, CO, September 15, 2024 — Sarah Gillis, Shining Mountain Waldorf School Class of 2012, made history this week as part of the four-person civilian crew aboard SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission. On Day 4 of the mission, Sarah, who is serving as Mission Specialist, released a powerful musical performance—from outer space, while traveling more than 17,000 mph (27,358 kph) around the Earth!—in collaboration with renowned composers and young musicians across the planet. Watch it here (4.5 minutes, volume up!):
The extraordinary performance, entitled “Harmony of Resilience,” was the culmination of a year-long project supported by orchestral recordings from the Eastman Scoring Stage at Warner Brothers and contributions from student ensembles around the world; it demonstrates Sarah’s commitment to integrating music and science, and, she says, shines light on the resilience and potential of children around the world. The performance is serving as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and is part of a larger initiative to inspire young minds and integrate arts into the STEM framework, transforming it into STEAM. El Sistema USA is an educational curriculum which Sarah helped develop that works toward these goals.
STEAM Power at SMWS: Merging Arts with Science
In addition to assisting with science experiments on Polaris Dawn as its Mission Specialist, Sarah brought a violin along, which has always been a key component of her education. She trained as a classical violinist from a young age while attending Shining Mountain Waldorf School and playing in Boulder Suzuki Strings, and continued to practice even after her studies veered toward science and engineering. Sarah reveals more about her musical background and the story behind the Dragon spacecraft concert in this clip from “CBS Saturday Morning.”
Sarah’s interest in the long-term effects of space travel on the human body began during her high school years, and continued as she studied aerospace engineering at CU Boulder before joining the SpaceX team.
“Sarah’s success perfectly reflects the ethos we hold at Shining Mountain Waldorf School,” said School Director Meg Gardner. “We believe in giving students the freedom to explore their interests and develop their critical thinking skills through personalized projects and experiences. Sarah took full advantage of these opportunities and began her work with space flight and space medicine as part of her high school studies. This is exactly the kind of self-directed, creative, and curious mindset we aim to cultivate in every student.”
A School Community Inspired
Sarah’s journey continues to inspire not just her family and alma mater, but also the broader community. Gardner expressed the hope that Sarah’s path will help encourage current students to imagine their potential. “Sarah‘s journey is a reminder of the incredible feats young people can accomplish when they infuse their dreams with hard work and determination, and trust the path before them.”
In fact, Sarah was carrying a small locket from Shining Mountain Waldorf School with her on the mission, which included a photo of the entire community of children, teachers, and staff, waving upwards, with the words “Dear Sarah, Your Courage is Our Inspiration!”
Sarah Gillis, then (Sarah Levine, 5th grade student) and now (Sarah Gillis, Astronaut & Mission Specialist).
Other Records Broken
On the night of September 10, 2024, Sarah Gillis became one of the first two women to travel more than 1,400 kilometers into space, making her and fellow crew member Anna Menon the furthest-traveled women in space since the Apollo program. Sarah also now holds the record for the youngest person performing a spacewalk, and conducted the world’s first commercial spacewalk on September 12, 2024.
For Sarah, this mission is a remarkable culmination of her journey from Shining Mountain Waldorf School to space. Today, her groundbreaking collaborations and innovative use of music as a form of outreach showcase how an education rooted in diverse disciplines can lead to extraordinary achievements.
Splashdown
On Sunday morning, September 15, 2024, Sarah and the Polaris Dawn crew successfully returned to Earth. From the SpaceX polarisprogram official Instagram: “Happy, healthy, home: Polaris Dawn safely splashed down after completing the first spacewalk from Dragon, reaching new heights in Earth’s orbit, testing Starlink in space, and conducting ~40 science experiments. A new era of commercial spaceflight dawns, with much more to come.”
Here are some additional exciting moments from this morning, sent via Sarah’s mother, Sue Levine, former Director of SMWS: “Some of the highlights were the first glimpse of the capsule, the drogue parachutes opening, and the beautiful view of all four of the final parachutes. They splashed down into calm seas, and were euphoric as the capsule was opened.”
Sarah returns! (Screenshot from polarisprogram & johnkrausphotos)
—Article by Joshua Berman
Related:
- SMWS Alum Sarah Gillis Prepares for Historic Space Mission
- Students Interview Sarah Gillis, Class of 2012, about …
About Shining Mountain Waldorf School
Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS) is an independent pre-K through grade 12 independent school located in North Boulder. SMWS is an accredited member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and the Association of Colorado Independent Schools. Shining Mountain’s purpose is to unleash the capacities of young people to imagine and create a better world. Our mission is to cultivate intellectually curious students with a strong sense of self, compassion for others, and the tenacity to live to their fullest human potential. Admissions: https://shiningmountainwaldorf.org/admissions/
About Waldorf Education
Based on the education philosophy initiated by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf education is a culturally rich, age-appropriate curriculum that educates the body, mind, and spirit of the child. Since the founding of the first school, Waldorf education has become a global independent school movement with more than 1,000 schools worldwide in over 60 countries.