Today I had the great pleasure of hearing Susan Kilrain speak at Technikmuseum Speyer.
I have to say, of all the astronauts I have personally heard giving talks, Kilrain was by far the most charismatic, most exciting and most gifted public speaker- no surprise, of course, seeing as she became a successful motivational speaker since her career as a pilot and astronaut.
Born in 1961 in Augusta, Georgia as one of 9 children, she seized every opportunity to make her dream of becoming an astronaut a reality. Already earning her private pilot's license in high school, she became an aerospace engineer and joined the Navy with the goal of becoming a test pilot and, eventually, a space shuttle pilot.
She spoke of her experience as a woman in a man's world, who did not only have to prove her own, personal ability, but that of all women. With 3000 flying hours under her belt, she was selected as part of the 15th Astronaut Training Group. She was the pilot on both STS-83, which due to technical problems was aborted with only 3 days of time in space, as well as STS-94, the reflight of the aborted mission. This remains the only time in spaceflight history that two missions were flown by an identical crew.
Kilrain told her story with passion and humor, a perfect balance of funny anecdotes and simple facts. I have visited many talks at the museum, and I have never seen the audience so absorbed and having so much fun. Whether it was the story of flying the notorious Grumman F-14 Tomcat with engine-, hydraulics- and instrument failures or an unfortunate yet funny appearance in newsreel footage; she has a real talent of stirring excitement. Not even one child was making a fuss in the stuffy auditorium as they all sat listening intently to her 1 hour long talk- even if they didn't speak English!
The moment that most outstandingly proved her ability to inspire was when during the Q&A a young girl asked for advice for herself and her little sister on becoming astronauts. Her response was funny, practical and echoed real-life experience: Do well in school, keep your body healthy by playing outside and being physical rather than sitting down with screens, and learn how to work in a team even if you don't get along ("You can start with your sister!" got one of the many laughs that afternoon).
Of course she didn't leave without paying Europe's largest space exhibit, "Apollo & Beyond" at the Technikmuseum, the biggest compliment it could perhaps receive: It is the greatest collection of space exploration memorabilia she has ever seen in one place! Even the Smithsonian apparently pales in comparison. Coming from an astronaut who has seen it all, that must have been a great joy for curator Gerhard Daum to hear. It was even her first chance since being a pilot of the Columbia that she got to sit in the pilot's seat of a space shuttle: During an interview inside the museum's Buran OK-GLI. (pictures will follow)
In the end she took time to sign copies of her book An Unlikely Astronaut, leaving having no doubt inspired many children to follow in her incredible footsteps.
