Cmdr. Susan Kilrain commissioned in the Navy in 1985 and as a naval aviator in 1987. She was selected to be a flight instructor in the TA-4J, and later flew E/A-6A for Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VAQ) 33 in Key West, Florida. After completing U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, she reported to Fighter Squadron (VF) 101 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for F-14 training. Kilrain reported to the Johnson Space Center as an astronaut candidate in 1995. Following a year of training, she worked on technical issues for the vehicle systems and operations branch of the astronaut office. She served as spacecraft communicator in mission control during launch and entry for numerous missions. A veteran of two space flights, she logged nearly 472 hours in space. She flew as pilot on STS-83 (1997) and STS-94 (1997). Kilrain retired as an astronaut in 2002 and from the Navy in 2005. Kilrain logged more than 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.

Last Updated: 29 March 2023