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Eileen Marie Collins

Published May 09, 2007

1990's -- Col. Eileen M. Collins was the first woman to command the Space Shuttle. (Courtesy photo)
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1990's -- Col. Eileen M. Collins was the first woman to command the Space Shuttle. (Courtesy photo)

1990's -- Col. Eileen M. Collins commands the STS-93 mission. (Courtesy photo)
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1990's -- Col. Eileen M. Collins commands the STS-93 mission. (Courtesy photo)

CAPE CANEVERAL, Fla. -- Col. James Kelly (left) and retired Col. Eileen Collins are two of three military astronauts on the Discovery crew. Discovery is scheduled to launch July 13. (NASA photo)
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CAPE CANEVERAL, Fla. -- Col. James Kelly (left) and retired Col. Eileen Collins are two of three military astronauts on the Discovery crew. Discovery is scheduled to launch July 13. (NASA photo)


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(1956-      )

Col. Eileen Collins became an Air Force pilot in 1979 and served as a T-38 flight instructor until 1982. From 1983 to 1985 she was a C-141 Starlifter aircraft commander and instructor pilot. She was assistant professor of mathematics and T-41 instructor pilot at the Air Force Academy from 1986 to 1989 and graduated from the Air Force Test Pilot School in 1990.

While attending the Test Pilot School, Collins was selected by NASA for the astronaut program and became an astronaut in July 1991. In 1995 Col. Collins became the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle and in 1999 she was the first woman Shuttle Commander. She has over 5,000 hours in 30 different types of aircraft and has spent over 537 hours in space.