26 Eileen Marie Collins Quotes (NASA ASTRONAUT)

Top 8 Most Famous Eileen Collins Quotes – The First Female Commander of a Space Shuttle.

“Some people said, “we don’t want to risk astronauts’ lives anymore, we need to stop doing this.” The astronauts don’t feel that way. We fly for our country, we fly for humanity, we fly for exploration, we fly for a variety of reasons, and we don’t stop flying because we have accidents.”
Eileen Collins

Look back over history, people have put their lives at stake to go out and explore… We believe in what we're doing. Now it's time to go. — Look back over history, people have put their lives at stake to go out and explore… We believe in what we’re doing. Now it’s time to go.

Discovery is in absolutely great shape. I'm pretty confident about the entry into the atmosphere and I'm thinking about the landing. — Discovery is in absolutely great shape. I’m pretty confident about the entry into the atmosphere and I’m thinking about the landing.

We brought Discovery back in great shape. The crew was very anxious to walk around and see what the outside looks like and it looks fantastic.

It will be expensive, it will be risky and we will make mistakes as we go. But we will do it because we are explorers by nature. — It will be expensive, it will be risky and we will make mistakes as we go. But we will do it because we are explorers by **nature**.

We're going to enjoy another day on orbit and we'll see you on Earth tomorrow. — We’re going to enjoy another day on orbit and we’ll see you on Earth tomorrow.

The atmosphere almost looks like an eggshell on an egg, it's so thin. We know that we don't have much air - we need to protect what we have. — The atmosphere almost looks like an eggshell on an egg, it’s so thin. We know that we don’t have much air – we need to protect what we have.

We have had a fantastic mission. We are so glad to come back and be able to say it's a success. — We have had a fantastic mission. We are so glad to come back and be able to say it’s a **success**.

18 Inspirational Eileen Collins Quotes About Life and Space Travel

“The vast majority of the shuttle program was a success. We learned so much about how a reusable spacecraft interacts with its environment, how it ages-and what to design next time.”
Eileen Collins

When I was a child, I dreamed about space – I admired pilots, astronauts, and I’ve admired explorers of all kinds. — When I was a child, I **dreamed** about space – I admired pilots, astronauts, and I’ve admired explorers of all kinds.

I wanted to apply to the astronaut program after the Challenger accident.

I think about the Columbia crew every day. I feel like we are carrying on their mission.

We want to explore. We're curious people. — We want to explore. We’re curious people.

For many of us it's been four years since we trained for this mission and its been a wonderful experience. — For many of us it’s been four years since we trained for this mission and its been a wonderful experience.

It is my hope that all children will see this mission and be inspired to reach for their dreams because dreams do come true! — It is my **hope** that all children will see this mission and be inspired to reach for their **dreams** because dreams do come true!

Getting the shuttle back up there is just going to bring the space station back to its full potential.

I don't think of myself as being a woman and having anything to prove. — I don’t think of myself as being a woman and having anything to prove.

We made the best decision based on what we knew at the time.

It's just been a wild ride. We've finally been able to put the icing on the cake with this mission. — It’s just been a wild ride. We’ve finally been able to put the icing on the cake with this mission.

This mission is a dream come true for all of us, not just to fly on the shuttle but to fly on this very important mission.

I'm honored to be the first woman to have the opportunity to command the shuttle. I don't really think about that on a day-to-day basis because I really don't need to. — I’m honored to be the first woman to have the opportunity to command the shuttle. I don’t really think about that on a day-to-day basis because I really don’t need to.

Whether your commander is a man or woman doesn't really matter when it comes to getting your mission done. — Whether your commander is a man or woman doesn’t really matter when it comes to getting your mission done.

We are staying focused on the mission and we know we are in good hands with the people on the ground — We are staying **focused** on the mission and we know we are in good hands with the people on the ground

I have had a lot of thoughts about Columbia and I will have thoughts after the landing. We're all going to be very focused… on the job at hand. — I have had a lot of thoughts about Columbia and I will have thoughts after the landing. We’re all going to be very focused… on the job at hand.

Houston, we have a good deploy. Chandra is ready to open the eyes of X-ray astronomy to the world.

“Because of [Amelia Earhart], we had more women available to fly in the 1940’s to help us get through World War II. And because of these women, women of my generation are able to look back and say, ‘Hey, they did it. They even flew military airplanes, we can do it, too.’”
Eileen Collins

Eileen Marie Collins Short Biography

Born 19 November 1956, in Elmira, New York, United States, Eileen Marie Collins is a retired NASA astronaut, United States Air Force colonel, and the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle.

In 1978 she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from Syracuse University. After graduating, she was admitted to Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training, the same location where the pioneers of female astronauts were training. It was upon seeing this that Collins realized her ambition of becoming an astronaut.

After years of teaching flying and math, Collins graduated from test pilot school in 1990. In the same year, she was chosen to become an astronaut by NASA.

Five years later, Eileen Collins was selected to pilot Space Shuttle Discovery (for mission STS-63). This mission would make her the first woman to ever pilot a Space Shuttle.

In July 1999 she became the first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission, aboard the Columbia (before the disaster in 2003).

Eileen Collins retired from NASA in 2006. She has served as a United Services Automobile Association (USAA) director, and a member of USAA’s Member and Technology and Nominating and Governance Committees.

Further Reading:

What It Was Like to Become the First Woman to Pilot and Command a Space Shuttle – Smithsonian Magazine
Woman in The News – Eileen Marie Collins; Woman’s Work: Space Commander – The New York Times
TIME Firsts Women Leaders – Time
Famous Veterans: Retired Space Shuttle Commander – military.com

Here are the best Eileen Marie Collins quotes so you can embrace the unknown and have the courage to explore further.

(MUST READ)

**Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew**

Also read:

Top 8 Most Famous Eileen Collins Quotes – The First Female Commander of a Space Shuttle.

18 Inspirational Eileen Collins Quotes About Life and Space Travel

Eileen Marie Collins Short Biography

Top 16 NASA Kalpana Chawla Quotes (COLUMBIA)

12 Christa McAuliffe Quotes (TEACHER IN SPACE)