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Eileen Collins

Eileen Collins’ New Memoir

By Róisín Chapman
IA Newsletter December 18, 2021

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Eileen Collins has had a groundbreaking career in both the United States Air Force and NASA. She went from being one of four women chosen for Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base to becoming the second ever female pilot to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. She was chosen for the NASA astronaut program in 1990, fulfilling a lifelong … [Read more...] about Eileen Collins’ New Memoir

35 Years: 1985-2020

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Looking back at Irish America’s premier issue we see that it set the tone for what was to come: a thorough investigation into what it means to be Irish American. Thirty-five years later, we are still answering that question and still pondering the answers. Enjoy these quotes compiled over 35 years. -The Irish America Team 1986 Tip O'Neill “Growing up as a youngster in … [Read more...] about 35 Years: 1985-2020

The Right Stuff

By Patricia Harty, Editor-In-Chief April / May 2000

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Eileen Collins, the first female to command a space mission, is a determined down-to-earth woman who never let anything stand in the way of her dream. August 1999: NASA, Texas: Eileen Collins looks a little tired and it's no wonder. America's first female space commander has been caught in a whirlwind of publicity since she returned to earth some three weeks before, having … [Read more...] about The Right Stuff

Fathers of Influence

By Irish America Staff

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In honor of Father's Day, a collection of remembrances from Irish and Irish-American daughters on their fathers, many of which come from Irish America interviews.   “My dad was in WWII, and Korea. He wanted to go to Vietnam but did not. He felt that when the country needed you, you better stand up and go serve it, and he was heartbroken by what happened in WWII to people in … [Read more...] about Fathers of Influence

Podcast: Eileen Collins and Patricia Harty in Conversation

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
April 20, 2018

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In this 45-minute podcast, Eileen Collins, the first woman to have command of a space shuttle mission and editor in chief Patricia Harty discuss Earth Day, April 22, and how the astronauts have helped spur awareness of forest clearing and environmental changes since the 1960s. Other topics include working with the Russians, what the future of space exploration looks like, … [Read more...] about Podcast: Eileen Collins and Patricia Harty in Conversation