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Spacewoman, a documentary written and directed by Hannah Berryman, focuses on the inspiring and extraordinary life of Eileen Collins. Along with being the first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission, Collins was also a test pilot and Air Force colonel. Her remarkable achievements, along with the challenge of balancing a family with her career, are covered in the documentary. Berryman and Collins talked about the movie, which debuted today in theaters. Check out the full interview below!
Read more: Eileen Collins and Hannah Berryman Talk ‘Spacewoman’ And Making An Impactful Documentary
During her time at NASA, Eileen Collins took part in four Space Shuttle missions, serving as the commander of STS-3 Columbia and STS-114 Discovery.
In terms of being an effective leader, Collins’ personal directive was to offer support and let the crew do their job. “The first answer that comes to mind,” said Collins. “It’s being a good listener. Sometimes we think as leaders we need to be giving out orders to people. That might work in basic training in the military because you have young people there for the first time. But when you’re dealing with astronauts that have a lot of experience, they pretty much know what their mission is. The important thing is to not be telling them what to do, but to be there to listen.”
Collins was impressed by Berryman’s own leadership, adding that she and Berryman are a “team” with Spacewoman. “There’s so many different elements,” added Berryman. “With the Crew, the producers, composer, the editor . . . filmmaking is very much teamwork. Which I think, Eileen is saying about commanding in space.”
“It’s the same thing in space flight,” said Collins. “It’s not about me – it’s about the mission.”
Filmmaker Hannah Berryman and Collins are doing Q&As during select Spacewoman screenings. Go the documentary’s official website for further details. CinemAddicts co-host Eric Holmes and I love the documentary, and it’s easily a top film of 2026 for both of us. Check out our CinemAddicts review:
Full interview with Eileen Collins and Hannah Berryman:
