spacetoday.net: Collins, Kennedy to leave NASA

Posted: Tue, May 2, 2006, 7:11 AM ET (1111 GMT)
Collins, Eileen (NASA)

The first female shuttle commander and the head of NASA's Kennedy Space Center both announced Monday their plans to leave the space agency. Eileen Collins, a veteran of four shuttle flights, announced Monday her retirement from the astronaut corps. Collins became the first woman to command a shuttle mission in 1999 with mission STS-93; she also commanded STS-114, the first post-Columbia shuttle flight, last year. Collins told reporters she planned to spend time with her family this summer before looking for a new position in the aerospace industry. Also on Monday, KSC director James Kennedy said he planned to retire from the space agency in January 2007. Kennedy, who has been KSC director since June 2003, said he made the announcement that far in advance to allow the agency plenty of time to find a successor and ensure a smooth transition.