Eileen Collins to Deliver 2027 HPU Commencement Address

Former NASA astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot a space shuttle and command a space mission, will deliver the commencement address to undergraduate students at High Point University on May 1, 2027.

Before joining NASA, Eileen served as a U.S. Air Force test pilot. She was selected as an astronaut in 1990, beginning a career that would make her a pioneer in space exploration. On Feb. 3, 1995, she became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle when she flew Discovery and its six-member crew from Kennedy Space Center to the Mir space station.

The mission was historic as Discovery completed the first rendezvous between an American space shuttle and the Russian-operated Mir station. In 1997, Eileen piloted Atlantis on another mission to Mir. The shuttle traveled about 3.6 million miles and returned to Earth after spending nearly 10 days in space.

Eileen reached another milestone on July 23, 1999, when she became the first woman to command a NASA space mission. As commander of Columbia, she led the mission that deployed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, one of the world’s most powerful X-ray telescopes, further establishing her legacy as a trailblazer for women in aerospace.

Key Highlights:

• Eileen will deliver the 2027 HPU Commencement address
• She became the first woman to pilot and command a space shuttle
• Eileen has had a distinguished 28-year career in NASA and the Air Force

“At High Point University, we challenge our students to be extraordinary and live a life of significance and purpose. Eileen has done just that while breaking down barriers and writing her name in the history books,” HPU President Nido Qubein said. “We are excited for our graduates and their families to learn from her inspirational story.”

Eileen is the subject of the 2024 documentary, “Spacewoman,” which chronicles her life, accomplishments and impact on the next generation of female space explorers. She has logged more than 6,750 hours in 30 different types of aircraft during her career, and she has spent more than 870 hours or roughly 36 days in space while on four missions.

Her final space flight came in July of 2005 during NASA’s first “Return to Flight” mission following the tragic Columbia disaster that killed all seven astronauts onboard two years earlier. She retired as a colonel in the Air Force in 2005 and from NASA in 2006 following a distinguished 28-year career.

Eileen has been inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. She published her memoir, “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars” in 2021.

Eileen will be the second former astronaut to deliver a Commencement address to High Point University graduates. Dr. Buzz Aldrin, who was part of the historic Apollo 11 moonwalk with Neil Armstrong in 1969, delivered an inspirational message to the Class of 2009. Joining a distinguished list of HPU Commencement speakers, Eileen will bring her remarkable experience in space exploration and leadership to the Class of 2027.