Eileen Collins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eileen Collins
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Collins in 1998
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Eileen Marie Collins
19 November 1956 Elmira, New York, U.S.
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| Awards |
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Colonel, USAF |
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Time in space
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36d 7h 11m |
| Selection | NASA Group 13 (1990) |
| Missions | STS-63 STS-84 STS-93 STS-114 |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | 1 May 2006 |
| Military career | |
| Years of service | 1978–2005 |
| Battles/wars | United States invasion of Grenada |
Eileen Marie Collins (born 19 November 1956) is a retired NASA astronaut and a United States Air Force (USAF) colonel. She was a flight instructor and test pilot. Collins made history as the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle. She was also the first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission.
She earned degrees from Corning Community College and Syracuse University. Collins joined the USAF through its Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. She was one of the first women chosen for pilot training. After becoming a pilot, she taught others to fly. She later flew large transport planes.
In 1990, NASA chose Collins to be an astronaut. She flew four Space Shuttle missions. These included important flights to the Mir space station and the International Space Station (ISS). She retired from the Air Force in 2005 and from NASA in 2006.
Contents
Early Life & Dream of Flying
Eileen Marie Collins was born in Elmira, New York, on November 19, 1956. Her parents were James Edward Collins and Rose Marie O'Hara. Her family had come from Ireland in the 1800s. She had three siblings.
As a child, Collins was shy. She joined the Girl Scouts. She loved reading about military pilots from World War II. She dreamed of becoming a pilot herself. She subscribed to Air Force Magazine.
Collins went to St. Patrick's School and then Notre Dame High School. Her family's home was damaged by a flood in 1972. This led her to transfer to a public high school, Elmira Free Academy. She graduated in 1974.
She wanted to join the US Air Force. However, her father did not agree. Instead, she attended Corning Community College. She earned a degree in mathematics in 1976. Then she went to Syracuse University. She chose Syracuse because it had an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program.
In 1975, the United States Air Force (USAF) began allowing women to train as pilots. These women would fly non-combat missions. Collins watched the first group of women pilots with great interest. She hoped to follow them soon.
Becoming an Air Force Pilot
After graduating from Corning, Collins went to basic training. She was allowed to run with the men, who had tougher fitness standards. She also took flying lessons in a Cessna 150. She learned about the history of the USAF and how planes fly.
In January 1978, Collins was set to become a computer systems engineer. But her AFROTC commander offered her a chance for pilot training. The USAF was now accepting women from AFROTC programs. Collins eagerly accepted.
A medical exam showed a problem with her left eye. She was first rejected. But her commander told her to rest her eyes and re-test. She passed the second time. She graduated from Syracuse with degrees in mathematics and economics.
Upon graduation, Collins became a second lieutenant in the USAF. In August 1978, she went to the Flight Screening Program in Texas. This program helped find suitable pilots for the more advanced training. She was one of four women in her class.
Collins was sent to Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma for her pilot training. She decorated her helmet with "E = mc2". This was a nod to her initials and Albert Einstein's famous equation. She flew solo for the first time in November 1978.
In March 1979, she began training in the Northrop T-38 Talon, a jet trainer. She earned her pilot wings after this training. She was chosen to become a flight instructor. She was the first woman to be a T-38 instructor pilot.
Collins, now a captain, wanted to become an astronaut. To do this, she needed to graduate from the USAF Test Pilot School. This required flying an operational aircraft for at least a year. She had over a thousand hours flying as an instructor. But a trainer aircraft did not count.
She was assigned to Travis Air Force Base in California. There, she flew the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, a large transport aircraft. She flew long missions around the world. These included flights to Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines. She also flew to Europe for military exercises.
In October 1983, her aircraft flew troops during a military operation. She also brought medical students back. Even though women were not supposed to fly in combat, she received combat pay. She was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. She became an aircraft commander in June 1984.
From 1986 to 1989, Collins taught mathematics at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. She also taught flying in a T-41. She earned two master's degrees during this time. One was from Stanford University and the other from Webster University.
She married James P. (Pat) Youngs, a fellow pilot, in 1987. He later became a commercial pilot. This allowed him to support her career.
Collins applied to the USAF Test Pilot School three times. Her first two applications were rejected. But in 1989, she was finally accepted. She became the second woman pilot to attend. She was the most senior member of her class. She flew many different types of aircraft there. She graduated in June 1990.
Becoming a NASA Astronaut
Selection and Training
On April 17, 1989, National Air and Space Administration (NASA) announced it was choosing new astronauts. Collins applied. She was invited to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) for interviews and medical tests. Her eyesight was again a small issue, but she passed.
On January 16, 1990, she received a call from astronaut John Young. He told her she had been selected. He also told her she would be a pilot, not a mission specialist. Young said, "You will be the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle!"
Collins was one of 23 new astronauts in NASA Astronaut Group 13. They called themselves the "Hairballs." She started at JSC on July 16, 1990. She already knew Susan Helms, another new astronaut.
Pilot astronauts practiced flying the T-38 jet. They also learned about the Space Shuttle's systems. They trained for survival on land and water. After nine months, they moved to operational roles. Collins worked on the Space Shuttle's systems.
She then went to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. This was to learn about the Space Shuttle's launch and landing procedures. She helped prepare ten Space Shuttle missions. She also worked as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) at JSC. This meant she talked to astronauts in space from mission control.
STS-63: First Woman Pilot
Collins' first Space Shuttle flight was STS-63 in 1995. This was the first time a woman piloted the Space Shuttle. Two other women pilots joined the Astronaut Corps later that year. They were Pamela Melroy and Susan Still. They would be the only other women to pilot the Space Shuttle.
The STS-63 mission involved a close approach between the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Russian space station Mir. This was the first time a Space Shuttle flew so close to Mir without docking. A Russian cosmonaut, Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov, was part of the crew.
Collins practiced over 500 approaches and landings in a special training aircraft. The crew also visited Russia to learn about Mir. Seven of the original "Mercury 13" women pilots attended the launch.
The mission had a small delay due to a problem with some thrusters on Discovery. But the approach to Mir was successful. Discovery also carried a Spacehab module and a satellite. Collins felt a bit sick at first but recovered. She helped with experiments, including a Coca-Cola dispenser.
Discovery landed back at KSC on February 11, 1995. The flight lasted over 8 days. Soon after, Collins became pregnant. Her first child, Bridget, was born nine months later.
STS-84: Docking with Mir
In August 1995, Collins was assigned to her second mission, STS-84. This mission would actually dock with Mir. It would bring astronaut Michael Foale to Mir for a four-month stay. It would also bring astronaut Jerry Linenger back to Earth.
The mission used the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Atlantis carried two Spacehab modules. Collins took 100 hours of Russian language training. The crew also visited Russia to learn about Mir and meet Russian cosmonauts.
Atlantis launched from KSC on May 15, 1997. There were no delays or problems. Atlantis docked with Mir the next day. Collins felt well during this mission. Crew members were exchanged. Over 7,300 pounds of supplies were moved to Mir.
Collins spent much of her time filling bags with drinking water. She also took many photos of Mir from outside. The crew also did various experiments. Collins photographed Comet Hale–Bopp, a very bright comet. Atlantis returned to KSC on May 24. The flight lasted almost 10 days.
STS-93: First Woman Commander
Astronauts usually pilot two missions before commanding one. Collins wanted to command the mission to deploy the Chandra X-ray Observatory. In March 1998, she was assigned to STS-93. This was a historic moment: she would be the first woman to command a US spacecraft. The announcement was made by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the First Lady.
Jeffrey Ashby was the pilot for this mission. The crew also included Cady Coleman, Michel Tognini, and Steven Hawley. Hawley was a very experienced astronaut. Collins was worried he might try to take command. But he offered helpful advice instead.
The STS-93 mission was special. The Space Shuttle Columbia had to be used. It was the only shuttle that could carry the heavy Chandra X-ray Observatory and its rocket. The launch was delayed several times.
This was the heaviest payload ever launched by the Space Shuttle. To save weight, the crew was smaller (five members). The mission was also shorter, lasting only five days. The large weight changed Columbia's balance. This made an emergency landing very risky.
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The launch day, July 20, 1999, was the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Famous astronauts like Neil Armstrong were there. Hillary Clinton and the United States women's national soccer team also watched.
The launch countdown stopped just before the engines started. A sensor showed a hydrogen leak, but it was faulty. The launch was delayed again due to weather. Finally, Columbia lifted off on July 23. One main engine had a problem during takeoff. This caused the shuttle to reach a lower orbit.
Despite the engine issue, the Chandra X-ray Observatory was successfully deployed. The crew also took ultraviolet images of Earth and other planets. Collins used a special radio to talk to children on Earth. On July 27, Collins landed Columbia at night. The flight lasted almost 5 days. She received the Distinguished Flying Cross for this mission.
After the flight, Collins went on a publicity tour. She appeared on TV shows. She had a son, Luke, in November 2000.
STS-114: Return to Flight
After her missions, Collins held leadership roles at the Astronaut Office. She became chief of the Safety Branch. In late 2001, she was assigned to command STS-114.
The STS-114 mission was meant to dock with the International Space Station (ISS). It would transfer crew and supplies. Jim Kelly was the pilot. Stephen Robinson, Soichi Noguchi, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, and Charles Camarda were mission specialists. Three spacewalks were planned.
The launch was delayed multiple times due to technical problems. Then, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster happened in February 2003. All Space Shuttles were grounded. STS-114 became the "return to flight" mission. Its goal was to test safety improvements and resupply the ISS.
Collins visited factories where Space Shuttle parts were made. She wanted to ensure safety. When asked if she was afraid after Columbia was lost, she said she was ready to fly again once the shuttle was cleared.
She had concerns about some parts of the shuttle. These parts were redesigned for STS-114. Discovery was chosen for the mission instead of Atlantis.
Discovery launched on July 26, 2005. The countdown was perfect. However, video showed that foam pieces still broke off the external tank during liftoff. This was the same problem that caused the Columbia disaster. Collins felt responsible for not pushing harder for changes.
The STS-114 mission continued. Collins became the first astronaut to fly the Space Shuttle in a full 360-degree flip. This allowed astronauts on the ISS to take photos of its underside. They checked for damage from the foam. This was a difficult maneuver, but she had practiced it many times.
The inspections found some issues with the shuttle's heat shield tiles. The three spacewalks and supply transfers went well. During the third spacewalk, Robinson removed two protruding gap fillers from the shuttle's belly.
Discovery was supposed to land on August 8. But bad weather caused a delay. It landed at Edwards Air Force Base on August 9. The mission lasted almost 14 days. Collins felt her landing was a bit fast. She was relieved the tires were fine. Her feet hurt for two weeks after returning to Earth.
Later Life and Recognition
Collins retired from the U.S. Air Force in January 2005 as a colonel. On May 1, 2006, she left NASA. She wanted to spend more time with her family and explore other interests. She had flown over 6,700 hours in 30 different aircraft. She spent more than 872 hours in space.
After retiring, Collins served on the board of directors for USAA, a banking and insurance company. She also advised NASA on space operations.
Collins sometimes appeared on CNN to talk about Space Shuttle launches. She gave a speech at Syracuse University in 2001. She also spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention. This led to talk that she might become the head of NASA.
Awards and Honors
Eileen Collins has received many awards. These include the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and several NASA medals. She received four NASA Space Flight Medals for her missions.
She was given the Golden Plate Award in 2001. She also received the National Space Trophy in 2006. In 2007, she got the Space Foundation Public Outreach Award. She received the Harmon Trophy in 2020 and the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in 2022.
Collins was inducted into the National Women's Hall Of Fame in 1995. She also joined the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2013, she was inducted into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame. She is recognized by Encyclopædia Britannica as one of 300 women who changed the world.
An observatory at Corning Community College is named after her. It is called the Eileen Collins Observatory. The main entrance to Syracuse Hancock International Airport is also named in her honor. She has received honorary degrees from Webster University and University College Dublin. In 2021, she received Syracuse University's highest alumni honor.
Images for kids
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STS-63 mission patch
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STS-84 mission patch
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STS-93 mission patch
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STS-114 mission patch
See also
In Spanish: Eileen Collins para niños
