MACKLIN — Chantelle Baier, a 2000 graduate from Macklin School, has her parents sharing her out-of-this-world story.
Baier is the founder of 4Space and recently led an important mission to the moon.
In other interviews with Baier, she admitted that growing up on a farm, under the stars, had her dreaming of space and travelling to the moon one day, with the dream coming to fruition.
Heidi Baier, mom of Chantelle, was on hand at Cape Canaveral when a Space-X rocket carried her daughter’s project to space and described the launch and the fact that her daughter had something on that rocket, as incredibly exciting.
“Of course as a parent you always wish for your child’s happiness and success,” Heidi Baier told SASKTODAY.ca and Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald.
“I knew Chantelle had the capability of tackling huge endeavours because every activity or school project she was part of was completed with commitment and focus. Even if it got difficult, she saw it through to the end.”
Baier describes her daughter’s mission as commercial lunar payload service on the Odysseus Lunar Lander.
“It allows NASA to send science investigations and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface, which helps NASA explore the moon as it prepares for human missions.
“Chantelle is owner of the space company, 4SPACE, set up to act as a vehicle to bring in non-traditional space companies for new opportunities. For now, Chantelle is focused on sending payloads to the moon. Maybe in the future, she would go herself and if she did decide on that venture, we would support her.”
Baier said the family has received congratulations from the Macklin community.
“When you raise your children in a small community you have a lot of support raising your children, from offering rides, co-ordinating activities etc. you have support. You never feel like you’re alone raising your child. Your community is your support,” adds Baier.
Heidi says they have visited their daughter, Chantelle and her daughter, Milan, in Los Angeles. With Chantelle’s work involving many meetings all over the United States, and her lab located in San Jose as she works at NASA Aims, with the addition of many hours she works from home including numerous hours on the phone, her workplace doesn’t consist of a typical office.
“We were able to go to the launch of the Falcon 9 at the Kennedy Space Centre and watch the historic launch.”
Baier believes that being in a small community affords the advantage of allowing your children to be in many activities and grow in their choices to reach many successes, realizing it’s OK to try many experiences to expand and find goals that complement you.
“Oddly enough, yes reach for the stars but keep yourself grounded,” adds proud Baier mom.
“Chantelle may say differently but I believe her biggest inspiration moving towards her unique career was Dr. Chris McKay, a planetary scientist at NASA AMES Research Center. After beginning her studies in geology and switching to fashion design she always wanted to join the two careers. While doing an internship with NASA, Dr. McKay encouraged Chantelle to act on all her ideas and her company evolved into what it is today. It was never a cookie-cutter profession, Chantelle has created and designed this unique company to launch her goals to reality.”
Parents know that when children utter statements like they are going to the moon, metaphorically, you don’t necessarily believe it, but you support them anyway.
“Many times, during this whole journey every time the project was progressing, with many of its challenges, Pius and myself would be happy and jokingly, always, always just tell her "Can't you just get a job"? Mostly because throughout it all, it seemed unbelievable, as honestly it still seems surreal. I guess my advice to other parents is, no matter how crazy of an idea your children come up with, believe in them, encourage them, support them, guide them, but let them try it. It may not work out, but they learn and move on. Or it just might be successful and you get to experience their happiness alongside them.”
