Today in history: 1999 - The first shuttle mission to be commanded by a woman, U.S. space shuttle Discovery completed a five-day mission

Megan Barreto
Updated
Eileen Collins: NASA's First Woman Commander
Eileen Collins: NASA's First Woman Commander


Today was a special day in history, especially for women in space. The first shuttle mission to be commanded by a woman, U.S. space shuttle Discovery completed a five-day mission on July 27th, 1999.

Eileen Collins sat down with MAKERS and told her story about being raised by her mom, falling in love with aviation, and becoming the first woman to pilot a space shuttle.

Click through to see photos of Collins' career:

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