On July 25th, a very special event took place at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City as the museum hosted ‘An Evening with Colonel Eileen Collins” with an exclusive in-person screening of the new documentary film, “Spacewoman.”
The event marked two major milestones in spaceflight history; the 25th anniversary since NASA astronaut and Air Force Colonel Collins became the first female space shuttle commander during the STS-93 mission on July 22, 1999, and the 20th year since Collins commanded Shuttle mission STS-114 “Return to Flight” mission on July 26, 2005, after the Columbia tragedy.
Collins was also the first woman to pilot a shuttle, flying Discovery on STS-63 in 1995.
During her tenure at NASA, Col. Eileen Collins shattered gender barriers by becoming the first woman to pilot and command a spacecraft on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999, paving the way for the next generation of female space explorers. Aboard the Columbia, Collins led the STS-93 crew in deploying the Chandra X-ray Observatory – one of NASA’s Great Observatories, still in operation today.
In 2005, Collins further solidified her legacy as she commanded NASA’s pivotal “Return to Flight” Space Shuttle mission with the Discovery, during which she achieved the extraordinary feat of completing a 360-degree pitch maneuver en route to the International Space Station.
During a wine and cheese reception in the Museum’s Visitor Center Atrium, attendees of all ages had the rare opportunity to meet and speak to Colonel Collins and have their photograph taken beside the trailblazing NASA astronaut. Afterward, guests enjoyed an exclusive screening of the new landmark documentary ‘Spacewoman’ in the Museum’s Sky Theater Planetarium.
Based on the book “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars” written by Eileen Collins and Jonathan H. Ward, the recently released film, directed by Hannah Berryman, embarks on the inspiring journey of Colonel Collins and delves into her remarkable memoir as she shares her path from a young girl with dreams to becoming a trailblazing pilot, breaking barriers and leaving an indelible mark on history.
After the inspiring and well-received in-person screening, a Q&A followed with Colonel Collins, who shared her personal experiences of growing up in Elmira, New York, and of her career in the U.S. Air Force and with NASA.
