Susan Kilrain

The record for the youngest person to pilot a Space Shuttle belongs to Susan Kilrain, a former commander who logged over 3,000 flight hours across more than 30 different aircraft. Her trajectory from a high school pilot trainee to a seasoned astronaut at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration highlights a career defined by technical precision and military aviation.

Early Education and Military Foundation

Born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1961, Susan Leigh Still completed her private pilot training during her senior year of high school. She graduated from the Walnut Hill School in 1979 before earning a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University in 1982. She later obtained a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1985. During this period, she held a position as a Wind Tunnel Project Officer for the Lockheed Corporation. Encouraged by Dick Scobee to pursue military service to bolster her prospects of becoming an astronaut, she joined the United States Navy in 1985 and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1987.

Naval Aviation and Technical Training

Kilrain's military tenure included service as a flight instructor in the TA-4J Skyhawk and piloting EA-6A Electric Intruders for Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 based in Key West, Florida. After graduating from the United States Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, she reported to Fighter Squadron 101 in Virginia Beach for training in the F-14 Tomcat. Her service required navigating a male-dominated environment, a challenge she met by focusing on professional integration and her long-term goal of space exploration. She retired from the United States Navy in 2005.

Space Shuttle Missions

In 1995, NASA selected Kilrain for the 15th Astronaut Training Group. She served as a spacecraft communicator in mission control before her two spaceflights in 1997. As a shuttle pilot on STS-83, she helped transport the Microgravity Science Laboratory, though the mission was truncated due to fuel cell issues. She returned to space shortly after on STS-94, which successfully conducted combustion and materials research in microgravity. Over these two missions, she logged 472 hours in space. Before retiring from the Astronaut Office in 2002, she worked in the Legislative Affairs office at NASA Headquarters.

Post-NASA Activities

Since leaving government service, Kilrain has focused on motivational speaking and educational outreach. She participated in Space 2101 camps held at the Dubai International Academy in 2022 and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in 2023. At the Dubai event, she contributed to a Guinness Book of World Record for the largest space exploration lesson. She has also engaged in writing, co-authoring the children's book An Unlikely Astronaut with Francis French. She resides in Virginia Beach with her husband, Vice Admiral Colin J. Kilrain, and their four children.

Fast facts

• Born: 1961, Augusta, Georgia
• Military Rank: Commander
• Education: Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Georgia Tech, US Naval Test Pilot School
• Space Missions: STS-83, STS-94
• Total Space Flight Hours: 472
• Notable Recognition: USA Today Woman of the Century (2020)
• Marriage: Colin J. Kilrain

Questions readers ask

What aircraft did Susan Kilrain fly during her military career?

She logged over 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft, including the TA-4J Skyhawk, EA-6A Electric Intruder, and the F-14 Tomcat.

What was the objective of the STS-94 mission?

The mission was a re-flight of the MSL-1 Spacelab, focusing on materials and combustion science research within a microgravity environment.

Achievements

• Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Educated at Georgia Tech, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University and United States Naval Test Pilot School
• Worked as United States Naval Aviator, astronaut and engineer