Good FLYING Reads: Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars

Col. Eileen Collins pilots an ongoing mission to inspire youth to space flight.

Monday, April 25, 2022 at 09:30 AM ET

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Col. Eileen M. Collins flying in the orbiter Discovery's middeck with Russian cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov, mission specialist, in the background. [Courtesy: National Archives]

Key Takeaways:

Col. Eileen M. Collins meticulously pursued her childhood dream of space, overcoming significant barriers to become the first U.S. woman to pilot and command a space mission.
Her exemplary leadership, including commanding the critical post-Columbia return to flight, is attributed to diligence, a strong work ethic, continuous learning from mistakes, and a mission-focused mindset.
Her experience viewing Earth from space profoundly shaped her perspective, fostering a deep appreciation for the planet's fragility and inspiring her commitment to environmental preservation and understanding climate change.

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A young girl in a modest home in Elmira, New York, laid in bed looking at the ceiling and dreaming of the stars. At the time, she didn’t need to know the path that would take her there, only that she felt completely entranced by the idea of space.

Propelled by this dream that only appears simple on the surface, Col. Eileen M. Collins (USAF, retired) had no clear indication about how to get there. At the time—June 1974—when she graduated from high school, there were no women pilots active in the U.S. Air Force; the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) had been disbanded in late 1944 as the Allies approached the close of World War II.