As NASA breaks into new frontiers, interest in human spaceflight seems to be enjoying a buzzy renaissance. In both science fiction and actual spaceflight, 2026 feels like a year in which the exploration of space is also leading to a reassessment of the recent past.
But before SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Artemis, the public American symbol of spaceflight was NASA’s space shuttle program. And one of the most pivotal pioneers of the space shuttle days was astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to be a commander of a space shuttle. Collins is the subject of a new documentary from director Hannah Berryman, Spacewoman, which chronicles her life and career.
