Eileen Collins made history by being the first woman to pilot a spacecraft. She took it a step further by commanding one, too — hitting a historic first for space exploration. Her adventures began in 1995 when she first started blasting off on missions. She was the first woman to pilot NASA’s reusable Space Shuttle, a vehicle that today is synonymous with human spaceflight. Her groundbreaking achievements are once again in the news. A new feature-length documentary called Spacewoman documents her groundbreaking career.
Collins has a daughter and a son, and Collins balanced motherhood with raising her two children. Concurrently, she took pioneering leaps for women in the world of space exploration. She often looks back on her time spent as a parent and a commander. To her, combined, those two roles are “the two most awesome jobs in the world.” Her outlier experience drove her desire to succeed in her new role. She sought to make the path easier for generations of women to follow her into aerospace careers.
Collins’ impressive rise to fame started when she became the first woman to fly the Space Shuttle. This achievement came with immense pressure. She worked diligently to avoid any mistakes, stating, “As the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle, I worked very hard at that because I didn’t want people to say, ‘Oh look, the woman has made a mistake.’” Her commitment to excellence resonated within the shuttle program, as Collins understood that her performance would impact not only her career but the women who would follow in her footsteps.
Her promotion to commander became yet another accomplishment in a long list of historic firsts. During one of her missions, Collins executed a breathtaking 360-degree flip while flying beneath the International Space Station, showcasing her exceptional skills and confidence. She wrote candidly about her leadership journey and announced her intention to be a “brave leader.” Her goal is to create a strong sense of ownership and confidence. I knew that quitting the mission would have been the most cowardly thing and I wanted to be a courageous leader. I needed to step out and be a really confident leader,” she recalled.
Collins’ journey has not been without challenges. She was involved in two significant Space Shuttle disasters: the Challenger spacecraft failure in 1986 and the Columbia shuttle break-up in 2003. These catastrophes highlighted space travel’s deeply ingrained dangers. They warned of the critical importance of taking public safety seriously and making smart decisions in the heat of the moment.
Through these difficulties, Collins refused to waver in her commitment to the cause. She once noted, “There were engineers and managers saying it couldn’t be done, all these reasons why it was too dangerous,” emphasizing her resolve to overcome obstacles and achieve success.
Her final flight took place in 2005. After that, Collins chose to retire and allow younger would-be astronauts to have their own opportunities to go into space. I was browsing through Air and Space Magazine and came across an article on the Gemini astronauts. I was like nine years old, and I’m like, wow, that’s the coolest thing. She remembered what had inspired her as a child. That’s what inspired her to become an aerospace engineer.
In making the documentary “Spacewoman,” Collins hopes to inspire future generations by recounting what her journey has been like. Her desire is to establish a sense of goodwill and to be known accordingly. Her mission is to motivate kids, particularly young women, to pursue careers in STEM fields. “Do your homework, listen to your teacher, pay attention in class and read books, and that will give you something to focus on,” she advises future generations.