Must-See Movie Review: “Spacewoman” Follows First Woman To Command, Pilot Space Shuttle
This film is an excellent tracing of the life of Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command the NASA Space Shuttle on several missions into space. The documentary does such a great job of expressing the tension that existed during that time. The first woman in space that wasn’t a pilot did not survive the mission, as that was The Challenger in the 1980s. And no kid from that time will forget it. New Yorkers were given a half day just so we could all watch it. And watch we did. They never gave us a half day for a shuttle launch again, needless to say.
This movie could have been an edge of your seat suspense film – except that you know the ending. A quick check of the film’s trailer reveals that she is, indeed, still here, so whatever could have happened aboard the Discovery didn’t occur. The Discovery mission was the first to follow the disastrous burning up on reentry of the space shuttle Columbia, after which a Staten Island school was named. Learn about the FLAG Award winner from that school.
Due in no small part to Commander Collins’ skill in piloting, the Discovery crew returned safely to Earth. The story of how that happened is incredibly fascinating and is described in this film. It was no easy task, and the maneuver she had to perform was incredibly precise and challenging. Despite every preparation and precaution they took at NASA before this mission, a piece of foam still came off the shuttle during takeoff – just what had happened to the Columbia. But since they were looking for it, they found it this time and tragedy was averted.
Col. Collins has an amazingly supportive family, especially her husband. Her daughter for a time believed that her mom wasn’t going to come back, and this was very hard on her.
Ms. Collins is an inspiration to women everywhere, showing us all what is possible if you put your mind to it and work hard – with a little luck from the Universe to pull you along.
This film is highly recommended as a must-see movie, and I would give it five stars:
SPACEWOMAN
Now Playing at the Quad Cinema!
Additional theater roll out nationally soon.
**Official Selection – Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival 2025**
**Official Selection – DOC NYC Film Festival 2025**
**Official Selection – Athena film Festival 2025**
**Official Selection – Boulder International Film Festival 2025**
**Official Selection – Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival 2025**
Directed by Hannah Berryman
Produced by Keith Haviland and Natasha Dack Ojumu.
Written by Hannah Berryman
Featuring Colonel Eileen Collins, Bridget Youngs, Pat Youngs, Luke Youngs, Charlie Camarda, Cady Coleman, Dr. Mike Foale, Wayne Hale, Paul Hill, Marcia Dunn, and Margy Conklin
Astronaut Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot and command an American spacecraft. Born on the other side of the tracks in upstate New York, she smashed many glass ceilings in the US Air Force and at NASA in her career, culminating in four increasingly dramatic and dangerous space shuttle missions. With an incredible set of archival materials, intimate interviews, and a moving score by Marcelo Zarvos, Hannah Berryman’s nail-biting film shares the emotional journey experienced by Eileen’s family, and explores what level of risk is acceptable in human endeavour.
Banner Image: Spacewoman movie poster. Image Credit – Falco Ink
