BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – As excitement builds around NASA’s Artemis missions and a return to deep space, one pioneer is reminding us that the journey to the stars doesn’t begin in orbit-it often starts in struggle.
Retired Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command a space shuttle, sat down to reflect on her extraordinary path-from a difficult childhood in upstate New York to leading one of NASA’s most critical missions.
“Space is back,” Collins says. “Because now, we’re doing something new.”
Collins is also doing something new. She has been travelling the country promoting her documentary: Spacewoman.
It’s a look at how her many career reaching for the stars had a humble, grounded beginning.
Collins grew up in Elmira, New York, in a family shaped by financial hardship and instability. Her father struggled with alcoholism, and her family relied on government assistance at times-food stamps, Medicaid, and welfare.
At 17, when her mother entered treatment, Collins found herself stepping into a parental role.
“I didn’t know what we were going to do,” she recalled. “But I took charge. I had just gotten my driver’s license. I got my siblings to school, did the groceries, took care of the house.”
It was a defining moment-one that revealed a resilience she didn’t yet know she had.
“We don’t know what we’re made of until we’re tested,” she said.
Collins decided she wanted to be an astronaut in fourth grade. At the time, there were no women astronauts.
“I never thought it would actually happen,” she admitted.
Instead, she focused on what was in front of her: school, responsibility, and survival. Community college became a stepping stone which allowed her to stay close to home, save money, and begin charting a future.
“I’m a big promoter of community college,” she said. “It gave me the chance to figure things out.”
She’s also a big believer in the United States military. Joining the Air Force changed everything.
“The military gave me structure,” Collins said. “Growing up, you never knew what was coming next. In the military, you know your mission. You know what’s expected.”
It also pushed her beyond her comfort zone. A self-described shy child who once struggled with a stutter, Collins developed confidence through both service and teaching.
She eventually taught math at the Air Force Academy.
Soon her leadership skills would be tested in ways no one could have ever imagined.
Collins went on to fly four space shuttle missions.
Twice as pilot and twice as commander. But her most significant role came after tragedy.
Following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Collins was chosen to command NASA’s “return to flight” mission.
“It was going to be the safest shuttle flight ever,” she said. “We weren’t going unless we knew it was safe.”
But while she had confidence in the mission, her family, especially her young daughter, Bridget, carried the emotional weight.
At the time Bridget was just 9 years old.
“She was terrified I wouldn’t come back,” Collins said. “That was the hardest part.”
Collins shares this and other emotional stories in Space Woman.
Collins also shares how traveling beyond Earth fundamentally changed how she sees the world.
From orbit, she witnessed what astronauts call the “overview effect.”
That’s a shift in perspective that makes personal problems feel small against the vastness of the planet.
“You look down and see billions of people, everyone living their lives, struggling, celebrating,” she said. “And you realize it’s not all about you.”
Now, as missions like Artemis II capture global attention, Collins hopes her story and her new documentary “Spacewoman” will inspire others.
Her message is simple but powerful:
“Stay in school. Take math. Solve problems. Take advantage of the opportunities here,” she said. “Because you can do anything. Even be an astronaut. Look at me. I made it.”
And if NASA ever calls again?
“I’d go,” she said with a smile.
A special screening of “Spacewoman” took place on Monday, April 13, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Premiere Theaters Oaks Stadium 10 in Melbourne, FL, which included a live in-person Q&A session with Eileen Collins herself.
Visit the Oaks 10 Spacewoman page to check for any extended runs or additional showtimes.