Book | Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission | A Conversation With Astronaut Eileen Collins | Redefining Society Podcast with Marco Ciappelli

Guest: Col. Eileen M. Collins USAF (Retired)
Retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force (USAF) colonel. A former flight instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a Space Shuttle mission.

On Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileen-collins-8a582351/

Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast

On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli
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Episode Introduction

"The podcast episode is introducing Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle mission, and discussing her book, which is aimed at inspiring young people to pursue careers in STEM and the military. The episode highlights Collins' background and the process of writing the book, as well as the importance of parental and educational influence in shaping a person's goals and aspirations."

Welcome to the Redefining Society podcast, where we bring you inspiring stories of people who have made a positive impact in society. In this episode, we have the honor of having astronaut Eileen Collins as our guest. Eileen Collins was the first woman to command a space shuttle mission and has contributed significantly to space exploration. The episode is split into two parts, and this is part one, where we will dive into her book and her life journey.

Host Marco Ciappelli begins by introducing Eileen and thanking Charlie Camarda for making the podcast possible. He describes Eileen's accomplishments as crucial to humanity and space exploration, and invites listeners to look her up if they don't already know her. Eileen then shares her life story, growing up in a lower-middle-class family in upstate New York and being encouraged by her parents to pursue her dreams. She discusses how she joined the Air Force, became an Air Force Test Pilot, an astronaut, and flew four times in space. She is now an author and has written a book to inspire young people to pursue STEM degrees and military careers.

The book is set to be released in March 2023, and Eileen shares that it was written to inspire young people. She tells listeners that she wrote the majority of the book, which Jonathan Ward, her co-author, helped refine. Eileen shares that she has an extensive collection of notes from her life and work, which she used to write the book.

Host Marco Ciappelli mentions that the book is emotional and technical, with Eileen sharing details about what went wrong and how many people work on a project. Eileen explains that she has a tremendous amount of notes from her life, including checklists, and logbooks of every flight she has flown. She credits her long-term memory for being able to remember so much from her life, including the day she decided she wanted to be an astronaut, which was when she was in Mrs. Whitmarsh's fourth-grade class.

Eileen shares that her parents took her and her siblings to the library on Saturdays, and her father took them to the airport in the summer to watch airplanes take off and land. She credits parents and teachers everywhere, emphasizing that you never know which incident will have a lasting impact on a child.

The episode is a captivating conversation that inspires listeners to pursue their dreams and strive to make a positive impact on society. The Redefining Society podcast is a platform for individuals to share their stories, and listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast and YouTube channel.

About the book

The long-awaited memoir of a trailblazer and role model who is telling her story for the first time.
Eileen Collins was an aviation pioneer her entire career, from her crowning achievements as the first woman to command an American space mission as well as the first to pilot the space shuttle to her early years as one of the Air Force’s first female pilots. She was in the first class of women to earn pilot’s wings at Vance Air Force Base and was their first female instructor pilot. She was only the second woman admitted to the Air Force’s elite Test Pilot Program at Edwards Air Force Base. NASA had such confidence in her skills as a leader and pilot that she was entrusted to command the first shuttle mission after the Columbia disaster, returning the US to spaceflight after a two-year hiatus. Since retiring from the Air Force and NASA, she has served on numerous corporate boards and is an inspirational speaker about space exploration and leadership.

Eileen Collins is among the most recognized and admired women in the world, yet this is the first time she has told her story in a book. It is a story not only of achievement and overcoming obstacles but of profound personal transformation. The shy, quiet child of an alcoholic father and struggling single mother, who grew up in modest circumstances and was an unremarkable student, she had few prospects when she graduated from high school, but she changed her life to pursue her secret dream of becoming an astronaut. She shares her leadership and life lessons throughout the book with the aim of inspiring and passing on her legacy to a new generation.

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Resources

The book: https://www.amazon.com/Through-Glass-Ceiling-Stars-American/dp/1950994058

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