{{Short description|American engineer, military officer and astronaut (born 1961)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox astronaut | image = Susan Still-Kilrain.jpg | birth_name = Susan Leigh Still | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|10|24}} | birth_place = Augusta, Georgia, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | education = Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (BS)<br>Georgia Institute of Technology (MS) | caption = Kilrain in 2000 | type = NASA astronaut | rank = Commander, USN | time = 19d 15h 58m | selection = NASA Group 15 (1994) | mission = STS-83<br>STS-94 | insignia = 40px 40px }} '''Susan Kilrain''' (born '''Susan Leigh Still''', October 24, 1961) is an American aerospace engineer, United States Navy officer and retired NASA astronaut. She is the youngest person to pilot a Space Shuttle. She has flown more than 3,000 hours and among her merits she was awarded with the Defense Superior Service Medal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=National Aeronautics and Space Administration |date=June 2005 |title=Kilrain Susan Biographical Data |url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/kilrain_susan_0.pdf |access-date=February 8, 2023 |website=National Aeronautics and Space Administration }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Kilrain |first=Susan |url=https://www.bookpresspublishing.com/books/an-unlikely-astronaut |title=An Unlikely Astronaut |publisher=BookPress |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-947305-73-1 |access-date=February 8, 2023}}</ref>
== Biography == Kilrain was born on October 24, 1961, in Augusta, Georgia. She is the only sister among nine siblings. During her childhood she expressed her interest in becoming an astronaut and her family supported her dream. She started flying in high school where she had a month off during her senior year and completed training to become a private pilot.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Kalluekaren |first=Maria Elizabeth |date=November 11, 2022 |title='You can be girlie, and still do STEM,' says former astronaut |work=Gulf News |url=https://gulfnews.com/friday/art-people/you-can-be-girlie-and-still-do-stem-says-former-astronaut-1.91540039 |access-date=February 9, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Susan Leigh Still Kilrain: Conversations with Scientists & Astronauts |url=https://www.knowitall.org/video/susan-leigh-still-kilrain-conversations-scientists-astronauts |url-status= |access-date=February 9, 2023 |website=Know It All |format=mp4}}</ref>
Kilrain graduated from the Walnut Hill School, Natick, Massachusetts, in 1979. In 1982, she obtained a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She received her master of science degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1985. During her time in graduate school she worked as a Wind Tunnel Project Officer for Lockheed Corporation.<ref name=":0" />
In January 1985, she had the chance to speak with Dick Scobee, who one year later died as commander of the Challenger STS-51-L. Scobee advised that she should join the military as a pilot if she wanted to increase her chances of being accepted into the astronaut program. In 1985, she joined the US Navy. She quickly realized that the Navy was not an organization that was friendly to women and that it was reluctant to accept her. She was quoted as saying:<ref name=":3">{{Citation |last=Cavallaro |first=Umberto |title=Susan Still Kilrain: The Second Woman to Ever Pilot the Shuttle |date=2017 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-34048-7_33 |work=Women Spacefarers: Sixty Different Paths to Space |pages=217–221 |editor-last=Cavallaro |editor-first=Umberto |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-34048-7_33 |isbn=978-3-319-34048-7 |access-date=2023-02-10|url-access=subscription }}</ref><blockquote>I realized that I was a woman in a man's world, so I was going to be an outsider. My whole philosophy was not to make waves. My goal was to be an astronaut. I wanted to fit in without accepting unacceptable behavior.</blockquote>Susan served as the Legislative Specialist for Shuttle for the Office of Legislative Affairs at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. She retired from the Astronaut Office in December 2002 and from the US Navy later in 2005.<ref name=":3" /> [[File:Astronauts in KAUST 10.jpg|alt=Photo of the Commander Susan Still Kilrain during her visit to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology as part of the space camp Space 2101|thumb|Commander Susan Still Kilrain during her visit to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology as part of the space camp ''Space 2101''.]] Since her retirement she works as a motivational speaker. She has participated in the space camp named ''Space 2101'' in 2022 at the Dubai International Academy (DIA) Al Barsha, and in 2023 at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. During the space camp in Dubai 2,299 students representing 108 nationalities, from five schools achieved a Guinness Book of World Record for ''the world's largest space exploration lesson across multiple venues''.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sircar |first=Nandini |date=October 18, 2022 |title=Nasa astronauts hail UAE's strides in space exploration |work=Khaleej Times |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/nasa-astronauts-hail-uaes-strides-in-space-exploration |access-date=February 10, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 30, 2023 |title=KAUST Space 2101 offers KSA students an 'Out-Of-This-World' STEAM-Learning Experience |work=Saudi Gazette |url=https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/629372/SAUDI-ARABIA/KAUST-Space-2101-offers-KSA-students-an-Out-Of-This-World-STEAM-Learning-Experience |access-date=February 10, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sircar |first=Nandini |date=October 18, 2022 |title=Dubai school sets Guinness record for world's largest space exploration lesson |work=Khaleej Times |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/dubai-school-sets-guinness-record-for-worlds-largest-space-exploration-lesson |access-date=February 10, 2023}}</ref>
=== Personal life === She is married to Vice Admiral Colin J. Kilrain. The couple have four children and reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She loves photography and traveling, as well as martial arts, triathlon and playing the piano.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />
With the space historian Francis French, Kilrain co-authored a children's book named ''An Unlikely Astronaut.''<ref name=":1" />
== Military career == Kilrain was commissioned into the US Navy in 1985. In 1987, she was designated a Naval Aviator. She was selected to be a flight instructor in the TA-4J Skyhawk. Later she flew EA-6A Electric Intruders for Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 (VAQ-33) in Key West, Florida. Upon completing the US Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, she reported to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for F-14 Tomcat training. Throughout her career, has logged over 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" />
== NASA career == In 1995, she was selected by NASA as part of the 15th Astronaut Training Group. The group was selected to provide pilots, engineers, and astronauts for space shuttle flights. After a year of training, she worked on technical issues for the Vehicle Systems and Operations Branch of the Astronaut Office. She also served as spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in mission control during launch and entry for numerous missions.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Still-Kilrain, Susan Leigh |url=http://www.astronautix.com/k/kilrain.html |url-status= |access-date=February 9, 2023 |website=Astronautix}}</ref>
In 1997, she flew to space twice as a shuttle pilot on the missions STS-83 (April 4 to 8, 1997) and STS-94 (July 1 to 17, 1997). The STS-83 mission delivered to space a Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1), a collection of 33 microgravity experiments housed inside the Spacelab. The goal of this mission was to test hardware, facilities, and procedures being developed in views of the long term research program on the future International Space Station. The mission, which was supposed to last 16 days was cut short because of problems with one of the Shuttle's three fuel cell power generation units. Mission duration was 95 hours and 12 minutes, traveling 1.5 million miles in 63 orbits of the Earth. In July 1997 the STS-83 mission was renamed as STS-94 and represented a re-flight of the MSL-1 Spacelab mission. This mission focused on materials and combustion science research in microgravity. Mission duration was 376 hours and 45 minutes, traveling 6.3 million miles in 251 orbits of the Earth.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />
Susan logged 472 hours in space over two missions and is the second woman to pilot a space shuttle. She recalled the first moments of piloting the space shuttle alongside the senior pilot and mission-in-charge.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Communications and Marketing Office |date=March 17, 1997 |title=Embry-Riddle's First Astronaut to Pilot NASA's First Microgravity Science Mission |work=Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University |url=http://www.erau.edu/er/newsmedia/newsreleases/1997/still.html |url-status=dead |access-date=February 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206010433/http://www.erau.edu/er/newsmedia/newsreleases/1997/still.html |archive-date=February 6, 2012 }}</ref><blockquote>Looking down at Earth from space the first time … it's like every dream come true. Even though you’ve seen pictures of Earth from space, it's not the same as being in space and looking at Earth. It was very rewarding.</blockquote>
== Awards and honors == Throughout her career she has been recognized and awarded in multiple occasions.<ref name=":0" /> *Distinguished Graduate of Naval Aviation – Awarded by the Officer Candidate School. *Distinguished Graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School, Class 103. *Defense Superior Service Medal. *Defense Meritorious Service Medal. *Navy Commendation Medal. *Navy Achievement Medal. *NASA Space Flight Medals – Awarded twice. *National Defense Service Medal. *Ten Outstanding Young Americans Award – Recognition given by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce. *Daughters of the American Revolution – Good scout award, obtained in 1997. In 2020, the newspaper USA Today named her a woman of the century. This was a way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women being granted the right to vote in the United States.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |date=September 4, 2020 |title=Founder's daughter, astronaut Susan Still Kilrain, honored by USA TODAY |work=Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America |url=https://burncenters.com/brca-news/founders-daughter-astronaut-susan-still-kilrain-honored-by-usa-today/ |access-date=February 9, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Flores |first=Jessica |date=August 13, 2020 |title=Doctors, teachers, NASA astronauts, mathematicians, scientists among USA TODAY list of influential women |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/life/women-of-the-century/2020/08/13/doctor-teacher-woman-mathematician-scientist-history/5477103002/ |access-date=February 9, 2023}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{commons category}} {{NASA Astronaut Group 15}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kilrain, Susan Still}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:American women astronauts Category:United States Navy astronauts Category:People from Augusta, Georgia Category:People from Greater Boston Category:Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University alumni Category:Georgia Tech alumni Category:United States Naval Test Pilot School alumni Category:Female United States Navy officers Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Category:Academy of Richmond County alumni Category:21st-century American engineers Category:Lockheed people Category:21st-century American women engineers Category:Women United States Naval Aviators Category:Aviators from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Space Shuttle program astronauts Category:Women aerospace engineers