Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars

Now in paperback, the life story of a world-famous astronaut who was a trailblazer for women and is a role model today.

Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars tells the remarkable journey of Eileen Collins, an aviation pioneer whose career was marked by significant achievements. She made history as the first woman to command an American space mission and the first to pilot the space shuttle. Her early career was equally groundbreaking, being one of the Air Force's first female pilots. Eileen was in the first class of women to earn pilot's wings at Vance Air Force Base and became their first female instructor pilot. She also became the second woman pilot admitted to the Air Force's elite Test Pilot Program at Edwards Air Force Base.

NASA's trust in Eileen's leadership and piloting skills was evident when she commanded the first shuttle mission after the Columbia disaster, which marked the return of US spaceflight after a two-year hiatus. Since retiring from the Air Force and NASA, Eileen has served on various corporate boards and has become an inspirational speaker on space exploration and leadership.

Eileen Collins is among the most recognised and admired women globally, and for the first time, she shares her story in a book. Her narrative is not just about achievement and overcoming obstacles but also about profound personal transformation. From being a shy, quiet child of an alcoholic father and a struggling single mother, growing up in modest circumstances as an unremarkable student, to having limited prospects upon graduating high school, Eileen transformed her life to pursue her dream of becoming an astronaut. Throughout Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars, she imparts her leadership and life lessons, aiming to inspire and pass on her legacy to a new generation.