Eileen Collins | |
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Born | Eileen Marie Collins November 19, 1956 Elmira, New York, U.S. |
Status | Retired |
Occupation | Test pilot |
Space career | |
NASA Astronaut | |
Time in space | 38d 08h 20m |
Selection | 1990 NASA Group 13 |
Missions | STS-63, STS-84, STS-93, STS-114 |
Mission insignia | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Retirement | May 1, 2006 |
Military career | |
Service/ | United States Air Force |
Years of service | 1978–2005 |
Rank | ![]() |
Battles/wars | United States invasion of Grenada |
Awards |
Eileen Marie Collins (born November 19, 1956) is a retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force colonel. A former military instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle. She was awarded several medals for her work. Colonel Collins has logged 38 days 8 hours and 20 minutes in outer space. Collins retired on May 1, 2006, to pursue private interests, including service as a board member of USAA.
Early life
Eileen Marie Collins was born in Elmira, New York, on November 19, 1956.[1] Her parents were James Edward and Rose Marie Collins.[2][3] According to a speech she gave when she was inducted into the Irish American 2016 Hall of Fame, her ancestors came to America in the mid-1800s, settling in Pennsylvania and Elmira, New York.[4] She has three siblings: an older brother, Edward; a younger sister, Margaret; and a younger brother, James.[3] Her father served in the US Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II. After the war he ran the family bar, then became a surveyor, working for the city. Her parents separated when she was young, and her mother took a job as a stenographer at the Elmira Correctional Facility. As a child, she was shy and needed speech therapy for her stutter.[5] She participated in Girl Scouts,[6] and attended the El-Ne-Ho summer camp. She expressed an interest in flying and in being a pilot, reading books such as Fate Is the Hunter and God Is My Co-Pilot, and subscribing to Air Force Magazine.[7]
Collins attended St. Patrick's School in Elmira up to the eighth grade and then Notre Dame High School, a Catholic high school,[5] but Collins was unhappy there. The family home was badly damaged by flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes in June 1972, and with finances tight, she was able to convince her mother to allow her to transfer to Elmira Free Academy, a public high school. After graduating from Elmira Free Academy in 1974, Collins considered enlisting in the US Air Force, but her father was adamantly opposed.[8] Instead, she attended Corning Community College, where she earned an associate degree in mathematics in 1976. She then entered Syracuse University, which she chose because it had an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program.[9]
Around this time, the United States Air Force (USAF) changed its policy to allow women to train as pilot, although only for non-combat missions. The first ten women chosen for pilot training were all serving Air Force officers with four-year college degrees. Collins noted their names and followed their progress and subsequent careers with interest, hoping to someday follow in their footsteps.[10][11] Six weeks after graduating from Corning, Collins reported to Rickenbacker Air Force Base for her basic training. In 1976, women had different fitness standards from the men, but Collins was granted permission to do the morning run with the men, who had to run 12 furlongs (2.4 km) in less than 12 minutes. The training included classes on the history of USAF and the theory of flight, a ride in a Fairchild C-123 Provider and a flight in a Cessna T-37 Tweet with an instructor. She took flying lessons in a Cessna 150 at Elmira Corning Regional Airport, eventually flying solo, but did not have time to complete all the requirements for a private pilot licence.[12]
In January 1978, Collins received orders to report to Offutt Air Force Base upon graduation from Syracuse, where she would become a computer systems engineer, a logical assignment for a mathematics major. Before this could occur, the Syracuse AFROTC commander, Colonel Vernon Hagen, informed her that the USAF was now accepting up to ten women from AFROTC programs for pilot training, and offered to put her name forward for this. Collins eagerly accepted, but there was one hurdle: a physical examination at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base revealed that although she had 20/20 visual acuity in her right eye, she had only 20/25 in the left, leading to her being rejected. Hagen told her to rest her eyes, and ordered a re-test, which she passed.[13] She graduated later that year with a bachelor of arts in mathematics and economics.[14][15]
Air Force career
Upon graduation from Syracuse, Collins was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the USAF. In August 1978, she received orders to report to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for the Flight Screening Program (FSP). She was one of four women in the class; there were ten men, of whom eight were from the Air National Guard and the other two were United States Air Force Academy graduates. The purpose of the FSP was to screen out unsuitable pilots before sendimng them to the more expensive Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) program. Collins was almost eliminated on medical grounds due to her left eye and a suspected heart murmur, but was cleared to fly. Training flights were conducted from nearby Hondo Municipal Airport in Cessna T-41 Mescalero aircraft.[16]
For her UPT, Collins wanted to go to Williams Air Force Base in Arizona, where the first ten women had trained,[10][17] but the USAF personnel office decided to send her to Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. There were three other women in her class, 79-08. She decorated her helmet with the logo E = mc2, an allusion to both her initials and Albert Einstein's mass–energy equivalence equation. Flight training was conducted in the T-37 Tweet.[17] On November 24, 1978, she became the first member of her class to fly solo.[18] In March 1979, the second phase of instruction began in the Northrop T-38 Talon, a jet trainer.[19] Finally, there was survival trai ning and training in what to do if captured.[20] After earning her pilot wings, she stayed on at Vance for as a T-38 Talon instructor pilot. This involved Pilot Instructor Training (PIT), which was conducted at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.[21]
Before transitioning to the C-141 Starlifter at Travis Air Force Base, California. From 1986 to 1989, she was assigned to the Air Force Academy in Colorado, where she was an assistant professor in mathematics and a T-41 instructor pilot. In 1989, Collins became the second female pilot to attend the USAF Test Pilot School and graduated with class 89B. She was selected for the astronaut program in 1990.[22]
Collins married pilot Pat Youngs in 1987; they had two children.[23] Earned a master of science degree in operations research from Stanford University in 1986, and a master of arts degree in space systems management from Webster University in 1989.
Astronaut
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20220616100355im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Eileen_Collins_%28S93-E-5033%2C_1999-07-24%29.jpg/220px-Eileen_Collins_%28S93-E-5033%2C_1999-07-24%29.jpg)
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Collins was selected to be an astronaut in 1990 and first flew the Space Shuttle as pilot in 1995 aboard STS-63, which involved a rendezvous between Discovery and the Russian space station Mir. In recognition of her achievement as the first female Shuttle Pilot, she received the Harmon Trophy. She was also the pilot for STS-84 in 1997.
Collins was also the first female commander of a U.S. Spacecraft with Shuttle mission STS-93, launched in July 1999, which deployed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.[1][24][25][26]
Collins commanded STS-114, NASA's "return to flight" mission to test safety improvements and resupply the International Space Station (ISS). Asked if she felt even a twinge of fear after the loss of Columbia, Colonel Collins replied "I would have to say no. I want to fly again. I am very mentally ready to go fly again." Then pausing, noting that she wanted to be precise, she added "I am mentally ready to go fly again when the shuttle is cleared to fly."[27] The flight was launched on July 26, 2005, and returned on August 9, 2005. During STS-114, Collins became the first astronaut to fly the Space Shuttle through a complete 360-degree pitch maneuver. This was necessary so astronauts aboard the ISS could take photographs of the Shuttle's belly, to ensure there was no threat from debris-related damage to the Shuttle upon reentry.
On May 1, 2006, Collins announced that she would leave NASA to spend more time with her family and pursue other interests.[28] Since her retirement from NASA, she has made occasional public appearances as an analyst covering Shuttle launches and landings for CNN.
Other activities
In May 2001, Collins was the commencement speaker at the 148th commencement of Syracuse University.[14][29]
On Feb 19th 2022, Collins was the keynote speaker at the 6th annual Roger That!.[30]
Political activity
On July 20, 2016, Collins addressed the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.[31] It was speculated that she would be appointed NASA administrator under President Donald Trump.[32]
Awards and honors
Collins has also received the Free Spirit Award, and the 2006 National Space Trophy,[33] and has an astronomical observatory named in her honor—the Eileen M. Collins Observatory—run by Corning Community College.
Collins has been inducted into the National Women's Hall Of Fame.[34] She has also been recognized by Encyclopædia Britannica as one of the top 300 women in history who have changed the world.[35]
The main entrance boulevard to Syracuse Hancock International Airport is named in Collins' honor.[36]
The New York State Legislature passed a resolution honoring her career on May 9, 2006. The resolution, which touches on the many highlights of Collins's career, reads, in part, "It is the sense of this Legislative Body to take note of and publicly acknowledge the significant milestones of those individuals from this noble Empire State who have distinguished themselves through their exemplary careers, pioneering spirit and purposeful lives." It was sponsored by State Senator George Winner in the State Senate and Assemblyman Thomas F. O'Mara in the Assembly.
Elmira College awarded Collins an honorary Doctor of Science degree at the college's 148th Commencement Ceremony on June 4, 2006. Previously Collins received an honorary degree from another alma mater, Webster University, in 1996.[37]
In 2001, Collins received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[38]
The Women's Board of the Adler Planetarium awarded Eileen Collins their Women in Space Science Award on June 7, 2006.
University College Dublin conferred on Colonel Collins the honorary Doctor of Science degree of the National University of Ireland on June 14, 2006.[39]
In 2007, the Space Foundation awarded Collins the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award,[40] which is given annually to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to public awareness of space programs.
On April 19, 2013, Collins was inducted into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame.[41]
Collins is also a member of the Air Force Association, Order of Daedalians, Women Military Aviators, U.S. Space Foundation, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Ninety-Nines.
She was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall Of Fame at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, Texas on May 6, 2021.[42][43]
In 2021, Collins received the George Arents Award, Syracuse University's highest alumni honor.[44]
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Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Biographical Data: Eileen Marie Collins (Colonel, Ret.) NASA Astronaut (Former), USAF" (PDF). NASA. May 2006. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ Carr, Jeffrey (January 17, 1990). "1990 Astronaut Candidates Selected" (PDF) (Press release). NASA. 90-006. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Collins & Ward 2021, p. 2.
- ^ "Col. Eileen Collins's 2016 Hall of Fame Speech". Irish America. April 2016. ISSN 0884-4240. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 8–11.
- ^ "Girl Scout Astronauts". NASA. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, p. 22.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 15–20.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 21–24.
- ^ a b Johnson, Kimberly (March 29, 2022). "When Women Earned Their Wings: the USAF's First Crop of Female Pilots". Flying. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 24–27.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 24–30.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 32–33.
- ^ a b "NASA astronaut Eileen Collins to deliver Syracuse University/ESF 2001 Commencement address". SU News. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ "Today in History - Syracuse University Graduate Eileen Collins Chosen as First Woman to Pilot Space Shuttle". Onondaga Historical Association. March 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 34–36.
- ^ a b Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 36–38.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, p. 45.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 48–51.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 52–59.
- ^ Collins & Ward 2021, pp. 59–62.
- ^ USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond. Privately Published. 1994. p. 241.
- ^ Brady, James (March 12, 2006). "In Step With... Eileen Collins". parade.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
- ^ (JSC), Mark Garcia. "NASA - STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins: From 'Soaring Capital of America' to the Space Shuttle". www.nasa.gov.
- ^ Becker, Joachim. "Astronaut Biography: Eileen Collins". www.spacefacts.de.
- ^ A 1999 Us Magazine profile Archived May 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yardley, Jim (February 7, 2003). "LOSS OF THE SHUTTLE: THE NEXT CREW; A Shuttle Leader Is Ready 'to Go Fly Again'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ Space.com article detailing the announcement of her retirement May 1, 2006
- ^ "2001 Commencement Address". SU News. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ "'Roger That!' event focuses on women in STEM". February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ Pavlich, Katie. "Here is Wednesday's RNC Convention Schedule".
- ^ Foust, Jeff (November 11, 2016). "NASA Administrator Bridenstine? His name's in the mix for Trump's space team". SpaceNews. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ "2006 National Space Trophy Recipient". Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA). Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ "Home - National Women's Hall of Fame". National Women's Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 3, 2002.
- ^ "Britannica page".
- ^ Mariani, John (July 8, 2011). "Space shuttle retirement prompts space veterans with Syracuse ties to ask, What's next?". Syracuse. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ "Honorary Degrees at Webster University". Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
- ^ First woman to pilot NASA space shuttle honoured by UCD June 2006
- ^ "Symposium Awards". National Space Symposium. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ Granath, Bob (April 20, 2013). "Three Space Shuttle Astronauts Inducted into Hall of Fame". www.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ "Lone Star Flight Museum Held a Virtual Ceremony for 2020 Texas Aviation Hall Of Fame Inductees". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- ^ Leinfelder, Andrea (January 10, 2020). "Texas Aviation Hall of Fame announces 2020 inductees". chron.com. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- ^ Herbert, Geoff (October 18, 2021). "Pixar president, astronaut Eileen Collins, more to receive Syracuse University awards". The Post-Standard. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Eileen Collins - Recipient". Military Times. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
References
- Collins, Eileen M.; Ward, Jonathon H. (2021). Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission. New York: Arcade. ISBN 978-1-950994-05-2. OCLC 1281565457.
Further reading
- Raum, Elizabeth (2006). Eileen Collins. Chicago, Illinois: Heinemann Library. ISBN 978-1-4034-6943-4. OCLC 58478502.
External links
- Eileen Collins Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America