assignment of kalpana chawla

Kalpana Chawla: Biography & Columbia disaster

Astronaut Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-born woman in space.

Astronaut career
Columbia disaster

Chawla's legacy

Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian-born woman to go to space in 1997. Six years later, on February 1, 2003, Chawla died when the space shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board.

Chawla's legacy has lived on, however. In particular, her talent and hard work have inspired young people in India and around Earth to consider careers in spaceflight.

Born in Karnal, India, on March 17, 1962, to parents Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyothi Chawla, Kalpana Chawla was the youngest of four children.

Until she started school, Chawla hadn't been formally named. Her parents called her Montu, but Chawla picked her own name from a selection when she entered education. The name Kalpana means "idea" or "imagination." Her full name is pronounced CULL-pah-na CHAU-la , though she often went by the nickname K.C.

As a child, Chawla developed an interest in flying after first seeing a plane at around the age of three. She spent days with her father visiting her local flying club with her father and showed an interest in aviation while at school.

Related : Columbia Disaster: What happened and what NASA learned

During her earlier education in India, Chawla attended Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School, Karnal.

Chawla obtained a degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College. When selecting the course, professors tried to dissuade her, as there were limited opportunities for girls in India following this career path. However, Chawla was adamant that this was the subject for her.

After completing her engineering degree in India, Chawla immigrated to the United States in the 1980s and became a naturalized citizen to continue her studies. She obtained her masters degree from the University of Texas and earned a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado in 1988.

Chawla began working at NASA's Ames Research Center the same year, working on powered-lift computational fluid dynamics. In particular, her work focused on understanding how air flows around an aircraft during flight and incorporating computers into the work.

Becoming an astronaut

In 1994, Chawla was selected as an astronaut candidate. After a year of training, she became a crew representative for the Astronaut Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branches, where she worked with Robotic Situational Awareness Displays and tested software for the space shuttles.

Chawla felt passionately about providing science education opportunities for young girls in India, and during her time as an astronaut, NASA invited Chawla's secondary school to take part in their Summer Space Experience Program. Each year from 1998, the school sent two girls to the Foundation for International Space Education's United Space School in Houston and Chawla would invite them into her home for an Indian dinner.

Chawla's first flight came in November 1997, aboard the space shuttle Columbia on flight STS-87 . The shuttle made 252 orbits of the Earth in just over two weeks. Chawla was a mission specialist and prime robotic arm operator for the flight; the other astronauts on board were Kevin Kregel, Steven Linsey, Winston Scott, Takao Doi and Leonid Kadenyuk.

The shuttle carried a number of experiments, including projects studying plant reproduction in microgravity and how materials behave in space.

In addition, Chawla used the robotic arm to deploy a satellite called SPARTAN 201, which was meant to study the outer layer of the sun , called the corona. However, the satellite malfunctioned and could not control its position upon deployment, according to NASA . Two other astronauts from the mission had to perform a spacewalk to recapture the satellite and the instrument never conducted any research.

After her first flight, Chawla said, "When you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar system."

The Columbia disaster

In 2000, Chawla was selected for her second voyage into space, to serve as a mission specialist on STS-107 . The mission was delayed several times before finally launching on Jan. 16, 2003.

During the 16-day flight, the crew completed more than 80 experiments, working a strenuous shift schedule to ensure that the research never stopped, according to NASA . Among other work, the STS-107 crew tested technology that NASA wanted to recycle water on the young International Space Station. Experiments developed by elementary school students from around the world analyzed how insects and fish respond to spaceflight; another suite of experiments studied the sun.

In particular, the flight carried a large pressurized chamber called the Spacehab research module inside the shuttle's payload bay. The experiments completed in the Spacehab module focused on biological and health sciences.

Between her two missions, Chawla logged 30 days, 14 hours, and 54 minutes in space.

On the morning of Feb. 1, 2003, the space shuttle returned to Earth, intending to land at Kennedy Space Center . But as the shuttle passed through Earth's atmosphere, hot gas streamed into the shuttle's wing where a briefcase-sized piece of insulation had broken off during launch and damaged the thermal protection system, the shield that protects it from heat during re-entry.

This image of the STS-107 shuttle Columbia crew in orbit was recovered from wreckage inside an undeveloped film canister. From left (bottom row): Kalpana Chawla, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon. From left (top row): David Brown, William McCool and Michael Anderson.

The unstable craft rolled and bucked, pitching the astronauts about. Less than a minute passed before the ship depressurized, killing the crew . Also on board were Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, Ilan Ramon, David Brown, William McCool and Michael Anderson.

The shuttle broke up over Texas and Louisiana before plunging into the ground. The accident was the second major disaster for the space shuttle program, following the 1986 explosion of the shuttle Challenger .

Related : Debris from space shuttle Columbia disaster found in Texas

NASA and independent groups both investigated the Columbia disaster in hopes of preventing another such tragedy. Examples include the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (2003) and NASA's Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report (released in 2008).

Each year, NASA marks the loss of the Columbia crew, as well as the crews of the Challenger space shuttle and Apollo 1, on the last Thursday of January; the fatal missions are also regularly referenced when NASA personnel discuss the importance of prioritizing safety in human spaceflight.

No NASA mission has been fatal since the Columbia disaster.

Shortly after the Columbia disaster, scientists named seven asteroids after each crewmember as a "celestial memorial." To mark the first anniversary of the disaster, NASA also named seven hills on Mars for the lost crew.

The University of Texas dedicated a Kalpana Chawla memorial at the Arlington College of Engineering in 2010. At the time of its opening, the display included a flight suit, photographs, information about Chawla's life, and a flag that was flown over the Johnson Space Center during a memorial for the Columbia astronauts.

In October 2020, a commercial cargo spacecraft named after Chawla launched to the International Space Station (ISS). Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule was named the S.S. Kalpana Chawla, as it is the company’s policy to dedicate their Cygnus capsules to someone who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight.

"Chawla was selected in honor of her prominent place in history as the first woman of Indian descent to go to space," Northrop Grumman officials wrote in a statement .

Additional resources and reading

Chawla's widower, Jean-Pierre Harrison, wrote a biography called " The Edge of Time ," which he published in 2011. In addition, several documentaries have been produced about the Columbia crew, including " Astronaut Diaries: Remembering the Columbia Shuttle Crew " (2005), and one that focused on astronaut Ilan Ramon, called " Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope " (2013).

Bibliography:

NASA, "Asteroids Dedicated to Space Station Columbia Crew," Aug. 6, 2003. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/asteroids-dedicated-to-space-shuttle-columbia-crew
NASA, "Biographical Data: Kalpana Chawla," Feb. 2003. https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/ASTRON~1.HTM
NASA, "NASA Dedicates Mars Landmarks to Columbia Crew," Feb. 2, 2004. https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/feb/HQ_04048_columbia_landmarks.html
NASA, "STS-87 Day 4 Highlights," accessed Feb. 10, 2022. https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-87/sts-87-day-04-highlights.html
NASA Life Sciences Data Archive, "STS-87," accessed Feb. 10, 2022. https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/Mission/miss/101
NASA Life Sciences Data Archive, "STS-107," accessed Feb. 10, 2022. https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/Mission/miss/194

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Nola Taylor Tillman is a contributing writer for Space.com. She loves all things space and astronomy-related, and enjoys the opportunity to learn more. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Astrophysics from Agnes Scott college and served as an intern at Sky & Telescope magazine. In her free time, she homeschools her four children. Follow her on Twitter at @NolaTRedd

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Kalpana Chawla Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on kalpana chawla.

Kalpana was the First spacewoman of India. It was the dream that many Indians dreamt of but only Kalpana was able to fulfill it. She had various ambitions in minds from her childhood only. Moreover, she always had an interest in aircraft, and because of that, she took aeronautical engineering .

Furthermore, Kalpana was a woman of great patience and hard work. And she proved that nothing is impossible if you have true dedication for your work. According to her teachers, Kalpna always had a great interest in Science.

Also, she had the ambition to go into space. So from the beginning only she was aiming to become an astronaut . In spite of knowing that it is a really difficult field. Therefore her father always encouraged her to go for higher studies.

Life Story of Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana was born in Karnal which is a small town in Haryana . Furthermore, she went to a local school to complete her primary studies. Kalpana was always a diligent student. Moreover, she was good in her academics. After completing her schooling Kalpana went to college for graduation. She took admission in Punjab University. She took admission in Aeronautical engineering.

Most Noteworthy is that she was the only girl student in the entire batch. This signifies that she always took a different path from others and was a leader. Furthermore, after completing her graduation she went abroad for further studies.

She took admission at Texas University in America. And completed her post-graduation from there. To get a doctorate degree she joined Colorado University. After getting the doctorate degree she began her career in NASA’s Ames Research Centre.

After completing her real career started. In 1994 she became a space passenger in NASA. Further one year later she became a member of space zone too. Kalpana always had a dream of landing on the moon. And as a result of her hard work and dedication, she reached such heights.

Kalpana’s first space mission was on November 19, 1994. She was a part of 6 member crew on space shuttle Columbia Flight STS-87. Furthermore, she lived for around 375 hours and traveled over 6.5 million miles in space. But when she was returning to Earth the space shuttle disintegrated. Thus the lives of all the 7 crew members ended which Kalpana a part was of. Therefore her career ended sooner than expected.

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Death of Kalpana Chawla

The Death of Kalpana Chawla struck sadness in the minds of Indians. Yet she will always be a great inspiration for all the Indian women. As she became a role model of all the youth. The youth who have always dreamt of doing something great in their lives. Furthermore, it also gives us a message that we should not confine ourselves within boundaries.

Moreover, we should see life as an opportunity to fulfill our dreams. Kalpana always took life as a challenge and an opportunity. Because of this only she was able to achieve such heights.

Also, it tells us that everything is possible through hard work and dedication. In her graduation days, she was the only woman in her batch. But this did not deviate her from achieving her dreams. At last, her story always inspires us as Indians and makes us proud.

FAQ on Kalpana Chawla

Q1. Who was Kalpana Chawla?

A1. Kalpana Chawla was the first spacewoman of India.

Q2. How did Kalpana Chawla die?

A2. Kalpna Chawla died because her Space shuttle disintegrated. Along with her 6 crew member died as well. This was a great tragedy for the people of America and India.

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Foil: 34 Panel: 4 Column: 1 Line: 23

Wall of Honor Level: Air and Space Leader

Honored by: Mr. Eugene N. Miya

PERSONAL DATA: Born in Karnal, India. Died on February 1, 2003 over the southern United States when Space Shuttle Columbia and the crew perished during entry, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing. She is survived by her husband. Kalpana Chawla enjoyed flying, hiking, back-packing, and reading. She held a Certificated Flight Instructor's license with airplane and glider ratings, Commercial Pilot's licenses for single- and multi-engine land and seaplanes, and Gliders, and instrument rating for airplanes. She enjoyed flying aerobatics and tail-wheel airplanes.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Tagore School, Karnal, India, in 1976. Bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India, 1982. Master of science degree in aerospace engineering from University of Texas, 1984. Doctorate of philosophy in aerospace engineering from University of Colorado, 1988.

AWARDS: Posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the NASA Space Flight Medal, and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

EXPERIENCE: In 1988, Kalpana Chawla started work at NASA Ames Research Center in the area of powered-lift computational fluid dynamics. Her research concentrated on simulation of complex air flows encountered around aircraft such as the Harrier in "ground-effect." Following completion of this project she supported research in mapping of flow solvers to parallel computers, and testing of these solvers by carrying out powered lift computations. In 1993 Kalpana Chawla joined Overset Methods Inc., Los Altos, California, as Vice President and Research Scientist to form a team with other researchers specializing in simulation of moving multiple body problems. She was responsible for development and implementation of efficient techniques to perform aerodynamic optimization. Results of various projects that Kalpana Chawla participated in are documented in technical conference papers and journals.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in December 1994, Kalpana Chawla reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995 as an astronaut candidate in the 15th Group of Astronauts. After completing a year of training and evaluation, she was assigned as crew representative to work technical issues for the Astronaut Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branches. Her assignments included work on development of Robotic Situational Awareness Displays and testing space shuttle control software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. In November, 1996, Kalpana Chawla was assigned as mission specialist and prime robotic arm operator on STS-87. In January 1998, she was assigned as crew representative for shuttle and station flight crew equipment, and subsequently served as lead for Astronaut Offices Crew Systems and Habitability section. She flew on STS-87 (1997) and STS-107 (2003), logging 30 days, 14 hours and 54 minutes in space.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-87 Columbia (November 19 to December 5, 1997). STS-87 was the fourth U.S Microgravity Payload flight and focused on experiments designed to study how the weightless environment of space affects various physical processes, and on observations of the Sun's outer atmospheric layers. Two members of the crew performed an EVA (spacewalk) which featured the manual capture of a Spartan satellite, in addition to testing EVA tools and procedures for future Space Station assembly. STS-87 made 252 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6.5 million miles in in 376 hours and 34 minutes.

STS-107 Columbia (January 16 to February 1, 2003). The 16-day flight was a dedicated science and research mission. Working 24 hours a day, in two alternating shifts, the crew successfully conducted approximately 80 experiments. The STS-107 mission ended abruptly on February 1, 2003 when Space Shuttle Columbia and the crew perished during entry, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing. MAY 2004

Wall of Honor profiles are provided by the honoree or the donor who added their name to the Wall of Honor. The Museum cannot validate all facts contained in the profiles.

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Kalpana Chawla Essay

Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-born female astronaut to go to space. She was an aeronautical engineer with many patents and had won many awards. She had a master’s and doctoral degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, USA. Kalpana Chawla was born on 17 March 1962 in Karnal, Haryana. She was an accomplished engineer and the first Indian woman to enter space. BYJU’S Kalpana Chawla essay describes her life story and inspires children.

Story of Kalpana Chawla

This short essay on Kalpana Chawla will inspire the little ones to dream big. Kalpana was born in a small town in Haryana. She graduated from the local school and went to college for her bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering. She was the only girl student in her class. After graduating, she went abroad for her higher studies. She completed her master’s degree at the University of Texas. Then, she obtained PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado. From there, she joined the NASA Ames Research Center.

After completing her education, Kalpana became a space passenger. In 1994, she became a member of NASA, and in the following year, she joined the space zone. Kalpana’s dream was always to travel to the moon, and as a result of her hard work and dedication, she reached such heights.

Kalpana Chawla’s first space mission took off on 19 November 1994. Later, she flew on the space shuttle Columbia Flight STS-87. Out of the six crew members, she was the only woman on board. Moreover, she had completed around 375 hours and travelled over 6.5 million miles in space. They all died when their space shuttle disintegrated on their journey back to Earth. She died on 1 February 2003.

Kalpana Chawla – An Inspiration to Youth

Kalpana Chawla achieved a feat that no other Indian woman had accomplished before. Her life has been immortalised through her achievements, and she will always be an inspiration for the Indian youth.

The Kalpana Chawla essay in English tells us that everything is possible through hard work and dedication. She made it to graduation, though she was the only girl in her batch. This did not stop her from achieving her dream of being an astronaut. Her story inspires Indians as she makes them proud of where they are from.

To conclude, Kalpana Chawla is an inspiration to millions of Indian women. Her life is a story that needs to be told to everyone in the country. Her life story teaches us that there are no limits to one’s aspirations. For similar essays, worksheets and poems , visit BYJU’S website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was kalpana chawla born.

Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal district in Haryana, India.

When did Kalpana Chawla die?

Kalpana Chawla died on 1 February 2003.

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Kalpana Chawla: Death, Story, Husband, and Biography in English

March 18, 2024

Introduction Early Life and Education Career Trajectory First Space Mission Second Space Mission and Tragic End Honors and Recognition Private Life In Popular Culture Continuing Inspiration Conclusion FAQs

Introduction

Kalpana Chawla, an Indian-American astronaut and aerospace engineer, blazed a path in area exploration that keeps to inspire generations. Born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, India, Chawla shattered stereotypes to turn out to be the first girl of Indian beginning to journey into space. Her illustrious profession at NASA noticed her undertake area missions, together with the tragic STS-107 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003. Despite her premature passing on February 1, 2003, Chawla’s legacy endures through her wonderful achievements, honors, and the endless lives she continues to encourage together with her unwavering spirit and dedication to exploration.

Early Life and Education

Kalpana Chawla changed into born on March 17, 1962, into a Punjabi Hindu family in Karnal, Haryana, India. Despite developing up in a conservative society, Chawla exhibited a eager interest in aviation from an early age, often travelling local flying clubs along with her father. She attended Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School in Karnal, where her instructional excellence shone through.

Chawla’s ardour for aerospace engineering led her to pursue better schooling at Punjab Engineering College, India, where she earned her Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Undeterred by geographical obstacles, she ventured to the US, graduating with a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. Continuing her academic pastimes, she obtained a second Master’s diploma and a Ph.D. In aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder through 1988, laying the muse for her illustrious career in space exploration.

Career Trajectory

In 1988, Kalpana Chawla launched into a remarkable adventure at NASA’s Ames Research Center, in which she delved into computational fluid dynamics research. Her groundbreaking contributions earned her recognition, main to her selection for NASA’s Astronaut Corps in 1995. Chawla’s numerous skill set as a Certified Flight Instructor and Commercial Pilot, coupled with her educational prowess, placed her as a valuable asset to the corporation.

During her tenure, Chawla participated in two historic area missions, which includes STS-87 in 1997, where she became the first woman of Indian beginning to mission into area. Her know-how as a mission professional and robotic arm operator showcased her versatility and dedication to medical exploration. Despite going through challenges, Chawla’s unwavering willpower and ardour for space exploration left an indelible mark on the aerospace enterprise, inspiring future generations to attain for the celebs with braveness and conviction.

First Space Mission

Kalpana Chawla’s inaugural space task, STS-87, marked a historical milestone in her profession and in Indian space exploration. On November 19, 1997, Chawla soared into the cosmos aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia as a part of a 6-astronaut group. This assignment not handiest showcased Chawla’s extraordinary capabilities as a assignment expert however also made her the first girl of Indian foundation to adventure into space.

During STS-87, Chawla performed a pivotal role in deploying the Spartan Satellite, regardless of encountering technical demanding situations that required a spacewalk by fellow astronauts. Her resilience and flexibility within the face of adversity underscored her dedication to medical development and exploration.

Over the course of the assignment, Chawla orbited the Earth 252 times, overlaying a staggering distance of 10.67 million kilometers. Her 15 days and sixteen hours spent in weightlessness presented valuable insights into human spaceflight and cemented her legacy as a trailblazer inside the cosmos.

Second Space Mission and Tragic End

Kalpana Chawla’s second space assignment, STS-107, changed into a testament to her unwavering dedication to medical exploration. On January sixteen, 2003, Chawla embarked on this fateful journey aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, becoming a member of a numerous team of fellow astronauts. The venture aimed to behavior groundbreaking research in Earth and space technology, era development, and astronaut health.

Tragically, on February 1, 2003, as Columbia re-entered Earth’s environment, catastrophe struck. The spacecraft disintegrated over Texas, claiming the lives of all seven team members, inclusive of Chawla. The loss of Chawla and her fellow astronauts despatched shockwaves via the global network, prompting a thorough investigation into the motive of the catastrophe.

Despite the heartbreaking end to her final mission, Chawla’s legacy endures as a image of courage, resilience, and the pursuit of expertise. Her contributions to space exploration maintain to encourage destiny generations to push the bounds of human undertaking, even within the face of adversity.

Honors and Recognition

Kalpana Chawla’s contributions to area exploration were venerated through numerous honors and recognitions that replicate her enduring effect on humanity’s quest for knowledge. Posthumously offered the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, Chawla’s bravery and determination had been diagnosed at the very best levels.

Additionally, streets, universities, and institutions round the sector undergo her name, serving as reminders of her trailblazing spirit and indomitable courage. Asteroid 51826 Kalpana Chawla, the lunar crater Chawla, and the renaming of meteorological satellites and spacecraft in her honor further immortalize her legacy within the cosmos.

Furthermore, scholarships, awards, and memorial packages mounted in her call, including the Kalpana Chawla Award and the Kalpana Chawla ISU Scholarship fund, keep to support and empower aspiring scientists and astronauts, making sure that her pioneering spirit lives on in destiny generations of area explorers. Kalpana Chawla’s impact transcends borders, inspiring individuals worldwide to attain for the stars and pursue their dreams with ardour and perseverance.

Private Life

Kalpana Chawla’s non-public existence became marked by means of a quiet however profound love tale. In 1983, at the age of 21, she married Jean-Pierre Harrison, forging a partnership that might aid her through her terrific journey in area exploration. Despite her public achievement s, Chawla cherished her privateness and saved her personal life away from the highlight.

Following her tragic passing in the Columbia disaster, Harrison turned into approached with the aid of filmmakers to create a biopic honoring Chawla’s existence, but he respectfully declined, preferring to hold their intimate moments collectively. Their love story serves as a testomony to the energy and resilience of their bond, enduring through both triumphs and tragedies. Though Kalpana Chawla’s legacy shines brightly within the annals of area exploration, her non-public lifestyles with Harrison remains a poignant reminder of the human behind the hero, cherished and remembered by way of the ones closest to her.

In Popular Culture

Chawla’s first rate adventure has left an indelible mark on famous culture, inspiring filmmakers, musicians, and storytellers to rejoice her achievements. Documentaries like Mega Icons and films along with “A Million Miles Away” have immortalized her legacy, bringing her tale to audiences worldwide .

Moreover, her have an impact on extends past the display screen, with references to her life and contributions in literature, song, or even technological know-how fiction. Chawla’s braveness, determination, and pioneering spirit hold to resonate with artists and creators, serving as a source of notion for destiny generations. In the realm of popular way of life, Kalpana Chawla’s legacy remains vibrant and enduring, ensuring that her story will continue to captivate and inspire audiences for years yet to come.

Continuing Inspiration

Chawla’s legacy maintains to serve as a beacon of notion for people international, transcending generations and borders. Her unwavering dedication, resilience, and passion for exploration inspire countless aspiring astronauts, scientists, and dreamers to pursue their pursuits fearlessly.

Through scholarships, awards, and memorial packages hooked up in her honor, Chawla’s legacy empowers destiny generations of area fans to observe in her footsteps. Her enduring impact on space exploration reminds us of the boundless possibilities of human fulfillment and the significance of pushing the bounds of knowledge and discovery.

As we recall Kalpana Chawla on her birth and dying anniversaries, her spirit lives on inside the hearts and minds of people who continue to reach for the celebs, guided by her example of braveness, perseverance, and willpower to the pursuit of excellence inside the exploration of the cosmos.

As we reflect on her lifestyles and legacy, let us honor Kalpana Chawla’s memory via embracing her ardour for discovery, breaking obstacles, and achieving for the celebrities. Through scholarships, memorials, and endured exploration, her legacy lives on, guiding us to new frontiers and provoking us to push past our limits. In the eternal expanse of the cosmos, Kalpana Chawla’s light shines brightly, illuminating the route for future explorers to comply with and inspiring us all to dream big and leap better than ever earlier than.

What were Kalpana Chawla's principal achievements in area exploration?

Kalpana Chawla finished numerous milestones all through her profession as an astronaut, consisting of being the first woman of Indian beginning to fly in space and collaborating in two area missions, STS-87 and STS-107. She logged over 30 days in space and contributed to scientific research and satellite tv for pc deployment at some stage in her missions.

How did Kalpana Chawla encourage others, particularly ladies, within the field of aerospace engineering?

Kalpana Chawla’s adventure from a small metropolis in India to turning into a NASA astronaut inspired infinite individuals, particularly girls, to pursue careers in aerospace engineering and space exploration. Her perseverance, willpower, and groundbreaking achievements served as a beacon of wish and motivation for aspiring astronauts and scientists worldwide.

What is the significance of Kalpana Chawla's legacy in modern-day area exploration?

Kalpana Chawla’s legacy keeps to have a profound impact on present day space exploration. Her contributions to clinical research, in addition to her trailblazing spirit, have paved the way for future generations of astronauts and engineers. Her legacy serves as a reminder of the significance of diversity and inclusion inside the space industry and conjures up people to push the limits of human exploration further.

How is Kalpana Chawla honored today?

Kalpana Chawla is commemorated thru various honors, scholarships, and memorials worldwide. Streets, universities, and institutions bear her name, and scholarships and awards are mounted in her honor to assist aspiring scientists and astronauts.

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Who was kalpana chawala: early life, education, nasa career, death and legacy.

Who is Kalpana Chawla?

Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut and engineer. She is also the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She first flew to space in 1997 on Space Shuttle Columbia, where played the role of mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. Her second and final flight on Space Shuttle Columbia was in 2003 where she perished with seven other fellow crew members as the shuttle was re-entering Earth. Besides her aeronautical career, she was also interested in flying aerobatics, tail-wheel aeroplanes and held a license as a Certified Flight Instructor as well as Commercial Pilot’s licences for land and seaplanes.

Early Life

Born in the Indian city of Karnal in 1962, Chawla was the youngest of four siblings. Being confident and outgoing as she was known to be, she is said to have chosen her own name. At the time of her admission to a nearby school, she had not been given a formal name and was called by her nickname, Monto at home. As the principal asked Chawla to pick a name amongst the three names her family had in mind—Kalpana, Jyotsna and Sunaina. She happened to confidently pick ‘Kalpana’.

Her interest in aeroplanes and flying had taken roots since her early childhood. Karnal, being one of the few Indian towns at the time to have a flying club, would often see planes flying over, which Chawla had come to notice and enjoy watching. She was taken on a ride on the Pushpak and a glider by her father, an experience she fondly remembered.

Education

Kalpna Chawla attended the Tagore Baal Niketan Sr. Sec. School in Karnal for her early education and went on to complete her Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering at Punjab Engineering College at Chandigarh in 1982. She subsequently moved to the United States in 1984 to study at the University of Texas at Arlington. She went on to pursue an M.S. degree in aerospace engineering here. She also completed a second M.S. degree in 1986 as well as a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1988.

NASA Career

In 1988, Chawla started her work as vice president of Overset Methods, Inc. at the NASA Ames Research Centre. As a part of her role, she researched the simulation of complex air flows encountered around aircrafts. In 1993 Kalpana Chawla joined Overset Methods Inc., Los Altos, California, as Vice President and Research Scientist where she was responsible for forming a team of researchers for the development and implementation of efficient aerodynamic optimisation techniques.

In December 1994, Kalpna Chawla was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in the 15th Group of Astronauts and reported to the Johnson Space Centre from March 1995 onwards. As a result of completing a year of training and evaluation, she was assigned as crew representative for the Astronaut Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branches to work on technical issues. Her role included assignments on the development of Robotic Situational Awareness Displays and testing space shuttle control software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. Following this role, she was assigned as a mission specialist and prime robotic arm operator in November 1996 on Space Shuttle mission STS-87. Chawla had her first opportunity to fly in space in November 1997 as a part of this mission. The shuttle made 252 orbits of the Earth in a little over two weeks and carried out various experiments and observing tools on its trip. Chawla deployed a Spartan satellite from the shuttle which studied the outer layer of the sun but ended up malfunctioning.

In 2000, she was selected for her second mission as a part of the crew of STS-107. The mission was repeatedly delayed and ended up finally launching on January 16, 2003. For the 16-day flight to space, Chawla’s role included the microgravity experiments, for which almost 80 experiments were conducted by the crew, studying earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety.

As the crew of STS-107 was re-entering Earth on completing its 16-day flight duration on February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia and the crew, including Kalpna Chawla, perished about 16 minutes before its scheduled landing. Investigations following the incident found that a hole on one of the wings of the space shuttle led to hot atmospheric gases penetrating its heat shield, subsequently causing internal damages and the shuttle blowing up.

A 13-minute video recording of the astronauts, made during the start of the re-entry showed the crew conducting routine procedures and sharing jokes, indicating they had no idea of what was to come.

Even after her death, Kalpna Chawla remains a massive form of inspiration to many Indian women for her achievements as well as for her successful career as an astronaut. Her legacy lives on in many ways. In her honour, the Haryana government in India set up a medical college and hospital in Karnal, along with names a planetarium in Jyotisar after her. The government of Karnataka as well instituted the Kalpna Chawla award in 2003 to recognise women scientists. At the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEL) in the United States, the Indian Students Association (ISA) launched the Kalpana Chawla Memorial Scholarship program. The University of Chicago has also renamed its Alumni Award to The Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Alumni Award. India's first weather satellite, the Kalpana 1, was also named after the astronaut.

The University of Texas dedicated a memorial to Chawla at the Arlington College of Engineering in 2010. The memorial display included a flight suit, photographs, information about her life.

What you can learn from Kalpana Chawla

1. Giving Back

Even after moving to a different country to establish a successful aeronautical career, Chawla remained close to her roots and believed in helping others. When she became an astronaut, NASA invited her school in India to take part in their Summer Space Experience Program. Chawla felt strongly about providing science education opportunities for young girls in India. Each year, from 1998, the school sent two girls to the Foundation for International Space Education’s United Space School in Houston, USA.

2. Persistence

Kalpna Chawla often spoke of her family’s hesitance in letting her pursue a career in the aeronautical and engineering space. However, as persistent she was, Chawla stuck through her passion and tried her best to fulfil her dreams, something we all can take cues from.

3. Confidence

In Chawla’s time, it was not often that one saw many women in the field of aeronautics, let alone women who were willing to move countries to pursue their careers in space. This, however, failed to deter Chawla from her path and she confidently led the way to a whole new generation of inspired women.

Being the first woman of Indian origin to travel to space, Kalpna Chawla opened doors to many young women in India to pursue a career in the space of aeronautics as well as science as a whole. Even today, she remains an icon for women from all walks of life thanks to her achievements and hard work.

FAQs

Kalpana Chawla was an astronaut and also the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. Her first trip to space was in 1997 on Space Shuttle Columbia as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator.

What did Kalpana Chawla study?

Kalpana Chawla completed her early education from the Tagore Baal Niketan Sr. Sec. School in Karnal, and Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College at Chandigarh in 1982. Her educational journey in the United States include an M.S. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, as well as PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Describe Kalpana Chawla's first mission in space

Kalpana Chawla was assigned as a mission specialist and prime robotic arm operator on Space Shuttle mission STS-87 by NASA in 1996, which led to her first opportunity to fly in space in Movember 1997. Her role in the mission involved deploying the Spartan Satellite into space. As a part of the mission, she logged more than 15 days and 16 hours in space.

What was the Space Shuttle Columbia mission?

The Space Shuttle Columbia was Chawla’s second mission to space with NASA, where she was a part of the crew of STS-107. As a part of the mission, which was a 16-day flight to space, Chawla was responsible for the microgravity experiments to study earth and space science as well as astronaut health and safety.

How did Kalpna Chawla die?

At the end of the Space Shuttle Columbia mission, the crew of STS-107, along with Kalpna Chawla, perished following an explosion during their re-entry to Earth. This took place about 16 minutes before its scheduled landing on earth and was a result of a hole on one of the wings of the space shuttle led to hot atmospheric gases penetrating its heat shield and causing the shuttle to blow up. Chawla died on February 1, 2003.

Image Source: Kalpanachawlacholars.org

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Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla (17 th March 1962 – 1 st February 2003) was born in Karnal, India. She completed her earlier schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School, Karnal. She is the first Indian-born woman and the second person in space from this sub-continent. After graduating in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India, in 1982, Chawla moved to the United States the same year. She obtained her Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas in 1984. Later she did her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado.

Determined to become an astronaut even in the face of the Challenger disaster 1986 that broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members, Chawla joined NASA in 1988. She began working as a Vice President where she did Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) research on vertical take-off and landing.

In 1991 Chawla got U.S. citizenship and started her career as a NASA astronaut in.1995. She was selected for her first flight in 1996. She spoke the following words while traveling in the weightlessness of space, “You are just your intelligence.” She had traveled 10.67 million miles, as many as 252 limes around the Earth.

Her first space mission (Mission STS 87) began on 19 th November 1997 with six other astronauts on the Space Shuttle Columbia. On her first mission that lasted for 15 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes and 4 seconds, she traveled 6.5 million miles. She was responsible for deploying the Spartan Satellite which however malfunctioned, necessitating a spacewalk by Winston Scott and Tako Doi, two of her fellow astronauts, to retrieve the satellite.

In 2000 Chawla was selected for her second space mission STS 107. This mission was repeatedly delayed due to scheduling conflicts and technical problems.

(All Crew in STS 107 Space Shuttle Columbia)

On 16 th January 2003, Kalpana Chawla finally started her new mission with six other space crew on the ill-fated space shuttle Columbia. She was one of the mission specialists. Chawla’s responsibilities included the microgravity experiments; for which the crew conducted nearly 80 experiments studying earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety.

After a 16 day scientific mission in space, on 1 st February 2003, Columbia disintegrated over Texas during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. All the crew in Columbia including Chawla died only 16 minutes prior to their scheduled landing.

Investigation shows that this fatal accident happened due to a damage in one of Columbia’s wings caused by a piece of insulating foam from the external fuel tank peeling off during the launch. During the intense heat of re-entry, hot gases penetrated the interior of the wing, destroying the support structure and causing the rest of the shuttle to break down.

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Astronaut Never Took 'No' for an Answer

By Amy Waldman

Feb. 2, 2003

KARNAL, India, Feb. 2 — In the early 1960's, when Kalpana Chawla was born, the birth of a boy in this north Indian city prompted celebrations and congratulatory visits.

The birth of a girl was met and still is, often — with quiet disappointment.

Kalpana, the youngest of four children, and the third girl, seemed to sense that reality, her brother, Sanjay, said, and from early on was shaped by it.

"She was determined, "`I'm going to tell these guys I'm not just another girl,"' Sanjay Chawla said on Saturday. "She was going to be better than the boys."

She was. She became only the second Indian-born astronaut and the first female one. She died on Saturday on her second space shuttle voyage at age 41, along with six fellow astronauts, but not before leaving a deep mark here.

In the early narrative of Kalpana Chawla's abruptly truncated life, there is a disquieting undercurrent, of the girl who was always being told "no," simply because she was a girl.

But overpowering it is the story of the girl who refused to be dissuaded, and who in her clarity of aim and strength of will did her part to reshape India's complicated gender calculus.

"Her very ideology her very thinking was not traditional, not conservative," said Kamlish Mishra, who taught English at the girls' preparatory college that Ms. Chawla attended.

"She never had the feeling that because she was a girl, there were things she should not do," said Rajiv Mittal, a businessman who grew up with her.

In an early school photograph, most of the girls wear plaits. Kalpana, as always, former teachers said, did it her way: her hair is straight and flowing, much as it was on the recent cover of a weekly magazine, "India Today."

She looks, with a wide, ready smile, as much like a homecoming queen as an astronaut. She also looks like a girl who, as one former teacher said, would say: "I have to do this thing, and I'll do it."

The town where Kalpana Chawla grew up, and began dreaming first of flight, then of space, is a staid planned city of 300,000, whose new sectors were given names like "Urban Estate" and "Model Town." It is in the state of Haryana, which was carved from Punjab in 1966.

Statistics suggest the state has taken the cruel art of sex selection, in which female fetuses are aborted, to new heights. Among children under age 6, it has 820 girls for every 1,000 boys, according to the 2001 census.

Yet at the same time, Daljeet Kaur Madan, the deputy director at the Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School, which she attended for eight years, said she felt women in the state were bolder than they had ever been before. "Now you don't find anyone sitting at home," she said. "Girls are doing one thing or another."

In part that inconsistency suggests what enabled Ms. Chawla to reach so high: from her mother to teachers, she found mentors, often women, who encouraged her to defy molds that they had sometimes been bound by.

Ms. Chawla's parents came from Pakistan to Punjab after the partition of the subcontinent. They did not have a good educational background, their son said, and they came with almost nothing.

But Banarsi Das Chawla was an aggressive innovator who became a prosperous rubber industrialist. His daughter inherited his drive but defied his conservative tendencies.

She was unwilling to be constrained by the traditional paths open to women, and was encouraged by her mother, Sanjukta, as well as her eldest sister, according to her brother and family friends.

"My mother is very open-minded she thought her daughter should be given the independence to do what she wants, without even knowing what that meant," Sanjay Chawla said.

Her brother accompanied her to admissions at Punjab University in Chandigarh, where she selected aeronautical engineering. She was the only woman to do so. "It was a big shock to everyone there," Mr. Chawla said. They tried to discourage her, he recalled — unsuccessfully.

She went to the United States to continue her studies despite her family's, especially her father's, disapproval. She earned a masters at the University of Texas, a doctorate at the University of Colorado, and along the way married a Frenchman, Jean Pierre Harrison, in yet another flouting of convention, since in India arranged marriages remain routine. She also became an American citizen.

For the first few years after she left, there was distance from her family. But once she joined the space program, her brother said, "everyone was proud and elated."

She did not look back at her life in India, by all accounts, but she did not forget it. At her request, NASA invited her high school to participate in the Summer School Space Experience program conducted by the International Space School Foundation in Houston.

Starting in 1998, two students went each year to Houston for several weeks, spending much of their time at NASA. The program each year included dinner — Indian food cooked by her or her husband — at Ms. Chawla's house.

The students described a humble, down-to-earth woman who still loved Indian classical music, and who would speak Hindi when pressed, albeit not fluently. All the students said she had given them the same advice, and seemed eager to impart it.

"Whatever you believe in, do just follow your dreams," Neha Sharma, 18, recalled her saying. "Don't worry about whether people encourage you."

The visitors also left an impression on her. "Much impressed with the students Sushil and Amisha," Ms. Chawla wrote in a neat slanting script to the school's director in 2001. "The confidence school has instilled in them stands out. It is obvious you are still working hard. What a gold mine you have! Best regards, Kalpana."

Saturday night, students had gathered at the school to celebrate her shuttle landing aboard — singing, dancing and setting off firecrackers in anticipation. Instead came stunned silence and tragedy.

Today students gathered again, as fog draped like a mourning shroud. But the feeling was of a life that had left a far more lasting impression than the contrails of smoke that marked its end.

"Next year I want to do engineering," Ms. Sharma said, with a preternatural composure Ms. Chawla would likely have appreciated. She said of the woman who paved the way: "Still she is a role model she just cannot die."

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UTA Remembers Kalpana Chawla, Columbia Crew 15 Years Later

Thursday, Feb 01, 2018

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Fifteen years ago, on February 1, 2003, seven astronauts perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry after 16 days in orbit, 16 minutes prior to its scheduled landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Included in that group was Kalpana Chawla, one of UTA’s most celebrated graduates and the first Indian-born woman to fly in space.

Chawla’s path to becoming an astronaut began in Karnal, India. She knew that she wanted to be an aerospace engineer at an early age, influenced by watching the planes from the local flying clubs and by her father, who took her to the flying club and got her rides in a plane and a glider that the club owned.

She graduated from Tagore School in Karnal in 1976 and earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from India's Punjab Engineering College in 1982. Then, she moved to the United States to attend graduate school at UTA.

There, Chawla was involved in an experimental research program to develop a novel propulsion system using a cross-flow fan installed in the wing of an aircraft. Don Wilson, was one of her professors and mentors in UTA’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.

Space Shuttle Columbia's crew, with Kalpana Chawla on the far left

After earning her master’s degree, she moved to Boulder, Colo., to pursue a doctorate in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado, which she earned in 1988.

Chawla’s career with NASA began in 1988 when she went to work for the Ames Research Center in California. Her work centered on powered-lift computational fluid dynamics, which involves aircraft like the Harrier. She left Ames in 1993 to join Overset Methods Inc. in Los Altos, Calif., as vice president and research scientist. She headed a team of researchers specializing in simulation of moving multiple body problems. Her work at Overset resulted in development and implementation of efficient techniques to perform aerodynamic optimization. Her successful career outside of NASA was brief, however, as the agency selected her as an astronaut candidate in December 1994, and she reported to Johnson Space Center in March 1995.

Kalpana Chawla in pumpkin suit during training

Astronaut Office Chief Kent Rominger said that Chawla loved her work and was respected by her colleagues.

“Kalpana, or K.C. to her friends, was admired personally for her extraordinary kindness and technically for her strive for perfection,” he said. “She had a terrific sense of humor, loved flying small airplanes with her husband and loved flying in space. Flying was her passion. She would often remind her crew as her training flow would be delayed and become extended, she would say, ‘Man, you are training to fly in space. What more could you want?’"

Kalpana was motivated by people who are giving it their all. “I think inspiration and tied with it is motivation,” she once said. “For me, definitely, it comes every day from people in all walks of life. It's easy for me to be motivated and inspired by seeing somebody who just goes all out to do something."

Kalpana Chawla's NASA mission patches, STS-87 (Columbia) at left, STS-107 (Columbia) at right

“When the sad news reached her hometown, an administrator at her high school recalled, ‘She always said she wanted to reach the stars. She went there and beyond.’”

On May 3, 2010, the College of Engineering dedicated a display to Chawla’s memory on the west side of the Nedderman Hall atrium. Nedderman Hall houses the College’s administrative offices, as well as the Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering department. The display includes one of Chawla's flight suits, several photographs, and historical and biographical information about her and the space program. Also included in the display is a flag flown over Johnson Space Center during the memorial for the fallen astronauts from the Columbia disaster. Jean-Pierre Harrison, Chawla's husband, donated the items.

(Excerpted in part from NASA Archives)

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The edge of time, the persistence of imagination

The light of the night sky in the palm of your hands

I am not the biggest fan of science. Although it was my favorite subject throughout much of my childhood, a love-hate relationship soon developed during my high school years. I even jokingly labeled myself as “anti-STEM,” much to the dismay of my mother and older sister who are ardent enthusiasts of the field. Although I still believe in the significance of developments under this scholarly discipline, my passion has manifested itself within other fields. One major interest of mine is culture and the forces that shape it, particularly as it relates to the representation of minorities.

Being an Asian-American and specifically Indian-American, it has been difficult growing up without seeing faces like mine in mass media. Even now at the age of eighteen years old, recurring doubts of self-worth have pushed me to question whether stories like mine matter.

One spring day, my mind kept wandering to this issue as I quarantined myself in my freshman dorm to finish a pile of assignments that I allowed myself to accumulate. Frustrated, I opened a web browser on my laptop and typed into the search engine: “notable Indian women in history” (or something of the like). Browsing through a slideshow, I finally arrived at a slide for a woman named Kalpana Chawla .

Kalpana Chawla - the kind of name that you are quite sure you never heard of before, although every fiber of your being tells you otherwise. There was simply one paragraph to summarize the life and experiences of Kalpana and yet, a rather unfamiliar emotion washed over me, coming at me with the power of a thousand ocean waves. My legs wobbled as they took me from my desk to my bed, like a castaway who finally found the shore and was able to bask in the warmth of the sun. I laid on my bed for a good fifteen minutes, dumbfounded as I reflected on this woman who is beyond words to describe.

I wish this was an exaggerated picture of what happened. Afterall, how impressionable can I be if I am left speechless by a woman who I read a mere paragraph about? There was clearly something different about this notable individual that had struck an inexplicable personal chord with me. Finding the answer to this unasked question became my sole motivation to get up from my bed and trek on back to my desk. I opened numerous tabs on my web browser to find out more about this extraordinary woman.

Kalpana Chawla is known for being the first female of Indian descent to travel into space. Having held a lifelong fascination with the celestial world, she moved to the United States in 1982 to pursue a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Six years later, she would obtain a PhD degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. In 1991, Kalpana became a naturalized U.S. citizen, making her eligible to apply for the NASA Astronaut Corps. Officially becoming a member in 1995, Kalpana would embark on her first space mission in 1997 as a crew member of STS-87. This history-making mission was not enough for her as she had an insatiable thirst for adventure. Fully enamored with the cosmos, Kalpana went on to participate in a second space mission - the ill-fated STS 107. Upon reentering Earth’s atmosphere, the Columbia space shuttle disintegrated, killing all seven crew members.

I do not seek to give a report on the times and trials of Kalpana Chawla. If you wish for a fact-laden “About Me” page akin to a bio on a matchmaking website, the previous paragraph should suffice. What I intend to do is paint a more human portrait of a woman who was like no other. To this day, Kalpana is praised all over the world for her accomplishments. Although rightly so, I believe in shedding light on the person beneath those glorious honors. And who better than her husband of twenty years to provide this inner perspective?

From Jean-Pierre Harrison’s book T he Edge of Time: The Authoritative Biography of Kalpana Chawla , I sought to discover a different side of Kalpana in hopes of finding the thread that mysteriously connected me to her, one that extended beyond a shared cultural and gender identity. However, as I flipped the pages of a book that I could not put down for three days straight, I realized it was more than a single thread that brought us together. In fact, it is quite possible that there are now enough threads that can be sewn together to form a nice linen shirt.

I do not wish for this connection to be a simple two-way street between Kalpana and I. I would like to see offshoots as I relay what I have learned to a generation that may be unfamiliar with Kalpana’s story. This does not stem from her personal experiences alone, but also from her beliefs, her outlook on the world, and yes, even her idiosyncrasies. From her dislike of John Wayne for criticizing Kirk Douglas on playing a “weak queer” to her hobby of reading biographies of artists and producing quite a good portrait of T.S. Elliot, there is so much more to this woman than meets the eye.

Perhaps the best way to introduce this remarkable woman is by examining what every basic introduction includes — a name. The literal translation of Kalpana is “imagination,” which is not surprising considering the dreams she dared to dream. Do not think, however, that Kalpana’s parents are excellent at predicting their daughter’s future. In actuality, Kalpana named herself - at the mere age of three years old! This kind of boldness will come from the same young girl who would insist to have her birth date changed from March 17, 1962 to July 1, 1961 so that she may enroll at school early. From a young age, Kalpana displayed an eager willingness to learn and welcome a world of knowledge to her feet.

Kalpana’s familial background was also one that I could relate to very closely. In fact, the details itself were so accurate to my own life that I felt I was reading a page torn out of my own non-existent biography. Kalpana’s parents were offered a limited education, with her father often opting to go swimming with friends instead of attending school. Although he was physically absent at times during Kalpana’s childhood due to his work obligations, he made possible whatever opportunities his family were able to enjoy. Kalpana’s mother, on the other hand, is religious and intelligent in her own right. Recognizing her children’s potential, she was always encouraging in regards to their aspirations. This kind of support enabled Kalpana’s older sister, Pikki, to pursue degrees in English, a nontraditional academic path for an Indian. Pikki was also the sibling Kalpana was closest to. Kalpana was fiercely loyal to her and held an admiration for her throughout much of her life.

Despite the tight bond Kalpana formed with her sister, Kalpana was perhaps most like Sanjay (aka Romi), her sibling to whom she was closest in age. They had similar career desires as Romi wished to be a pilot. Much of their childhood was spent riding their bicycles together to the local airport in Karnal (Kalpana’s hometown in Haryana, India) where they would be fully captivated by the graceful dances of the small planes in the air. Daydreaming would not be enough for Kalpana as she would lie on the roof at night on countless occasions and stargaze, contemplating all that exists beyond the physical realm that we are familiar with.

Still, Kalpana did not limit her worldview to simply that of what was beyond. In fact, for a long time, she wanted to be a newsreader for All India Radio. Perhaps she eventually chose a different path because she could not keep a straight face, as revealed through her renditions for her husband many years later. However, it was evident early on that she possessed the seed of creativity whenever she would avidly tell made-up stories using small plastic animals that Romi obtained from a friend. This sense of inventiveness eventually led her down the engineering path, but Kalpana reveled in other aspects of science as well. She particularly held a deep appreciation for nature and the beauty that radiates from it. This started from simply maintaining gardens around the house, but would eventually blossom into a life-long rush for adventure. This goes beyond being a keen hiker and skiing lover once she moved to the United States. In fact, Jean-Pierre has a photograph from the couple’s Grand Canyon trip of Kalpana reclining near the edge of a cliff beyond the guard rail.

Jean-Pierre recalled Kalpana being annoyed when he asked her to take caution in the aforementioned stunt, but fearlessness was a trait that she was innately born with. Kalpana took karate lessons growing up (and cheekily admitted to having a crush on her Persian instructor) and when told she had to submit to hazing in college, she challenged an older student, “What are you going to do, hit me?” But perhaps the act that summoned the most courage was standing up to administrators at Punjab Engineering College. After having been informed that girls do not study aeronautical engineering, Kalpana became the first girl to do so in 1978.

Indeed, Kalpana never allowed gender stereotypes to define her path to success. In fact, before enrolling at Punjab Engineering College, her father sought to marry her off in her late teens as was the custom in a Punjabi household. Although Kalpana dutifully followed other traditions like showing respect to her grandfather despite not agreeing with his religious beliefs, she rebelled in other ways. She dressed in practical tomboyish clothes and demonstrated her assertiveness by always voicing her wish to be team captain, in spite of not having a natural aptitude for sports sans badminton. However, that did not stop her from being a closet Denver Broncos fan when she was a resident of Colorado, even though that stemmed from local support and regional pride more than an actual interest in the sport.

As expected, when Kalpana embarked upon her first space mission, she was also hailed as India’s patriot. It is not difficult to see why as aside from her obvious genetic link to the country, she also held a deep reverence for its culture. Not only was Kalpana quite content eating samosas (“sams” in her book) and drinking chai all day on her trips back to India, but she was also always fond of India’s artistic nature. Kalpana took Bharatanatyam (a form of Indian classical dance) lessons as a child and resumed performing much later in adulthood. In fact, one of the personal items she brought aboard the Columbia space shuttle on the STS-107 mission was a token of the U.S.-based Indian dance company that she belonged to. Additionally, Kalpana had an ear for Indian music. On space missions, crew members take turns to have their selection of wakeup music played. For the STS-87 mission, Kalpana chose a Ravi Shankar sitar piece. The ultimately last piece of music dedicated specifically to her on the fatal STS-107 mission was Abida Parveen’s Yaar ko Hamne ja Baja Dekha. A song about being surrounded by one’s loved ones, it was quite the fitting piece as Kalpana left the world just when she was trying to reenter it.

Kalpana held her eyes open when exploring cultures other than her own, too. In the vein of music, she particularly admired American guitarist Steve Morse for his talent and attitude. The first rock concert she ever attended was to see Morse’s band Deep Purple perform. Post the Columbia disaster, Morse would record an instrumental to serve as a prayer for the lost crew members. Years before this, however, Kalpana would express her enjoyment of a gypsy dance concert by tracking down one of the dancers to give her an STS-87 mission patch. Yet, perhaps the most memorable incident occurred on a visit to Ukraine with her fellow STS-87 crew members. In true Kalpana fashion, instead of following the Ukranian tradition of having all the men stand and offer the third toast to the women, Kalpana had all the women stand and offer a toast to the men. Although this action of hers was applauded, not all attempts at immersing herself in another culture had been successful. A trip to Russia that had coincided with the STS-87 Commander Kevin Kregel’s birthday saw Kalpana’s futile attempt to obtain birthday candles for a cake. When the shop clerk could not understand her Russian, she sang the “Happy Birthday” song and puffed as if to blow candles. This humorous display was met with a stoic expression from the clerk and alas, Kregel had to go a birthday without candles.

Perhaps Kalpana’s open and welcoming nature is what led her to consider herself a “citizen of the world.” Kalpana, like many immigrants and first-generation Americans, felt that she belonged to neither India nor America, despite both countries’ claims to her accomplishments. Jean-Pierre asserts that she achieved all that she did for herself, not for any outside force. Still, she recognized what her position meant in the history books and even made annual donations for the International Space School Foundation to be able to recruit students from India and introduce them to the space industry.

Kalpana hoped to add more to her life. After obtaining a sense of self-fulfillment and experiencing a fast-paced life, she revealed to Jean-Pierre that she would like to resort to a simpler lifestyle and teach at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University one day. She even played with the idea of living in Bhutan because she greatly admired the country’s efforts to preserve its environment and culture.

Perhaps it is this dual nature of Kalpana — of being both selfless and self-motivated — that instantly drew me to her. It could also be the quiet strength that she carried throughout much of her life. Or maybe it was her willingness to embrace the new and unknown, whether it be here on this earth or beyond. But above all, I believe I was most struck by her sincerity in all that she did. Genuity is a trait seldom easy to find. Yet, Kalpana exuded this not only in Jean-Pierre’s account of her, but also in photographs. Although it is reasonable to assume that the photo on Jean Pierre’s book cover was thoughtfully and purposely selected, I could not help but let my eyes wander to the portrait of Kalpana on the spine of the book. It is so small that it could be easily missed, but the earnestness in her eyes is something that cannot be avoided. For the first time in my life, I truly understood the meaning of the phrase, “The eyes are the window to the soul.”

Although Kalpana tragically did not live long enough to pursue the extension of her dreams, she will always be, as Jean-Pierre wrote, “Forever young, at the pinnacle of achievement, beyond space, at the edge of time.” However, I propose an addendum to this ending quote: “the persistence of imagination.” Kalpana’s journey was made possible by her ability to aspire to the unthinkable. Jean-Pierre believes that her greatest contribution to her native India was putting the nation on the map by showing what Indians can do and letting them hold a place among the best. I believe, however, that Kalpana’s greatest contribution to humankind was proving that every goal is attainable when there is an inextinguishable inner fire.

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Kalpana Chawla facts for kids

Kalpana Chawla (March 17, 1962 – February 1, 2003) was an American astronaut, engineer , and the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. In 2003, Chawla was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, universities, and institutions have been named in her honor. She is regarded as a national hero in India.

First space mission

Second space mission, honors and recognition.

Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana. Her family originally hails from Multan District (now in Pakistan), who settled in Karnal following the Partition of India . Kalpana’s official date of birth was altered to July 1, 1961, to allow her to become eligible for the matriculation exam. As a child, Kalpana was fascinated by aeroplanes and flying. She went to local flying clubs and watched planes with her father. Chawla said "Every once in a while we'd ask my dad if we could get a ride in one of these planes. And, he did take us to the flying club and we had a joyride in the Pushpak and a glider that the flying club had."

In 1976, Chawla graduated from the Tagore School, where she was a high-performing student. After getting a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India, she moved to the United States in 1982 and obtained a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. Chawla went on to earn a second Masters in 1986 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado Boulder .

Chawla was married to Jean-Pierre Harrison

In 1988, she began working at NASA Ames Research Center, where she did computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research on vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) concepts. Much of Chawla's research is included in technical journals and conference papers. In 1993, she joined Overset Methods, Inc. as Vice President and Research Scientist specializing in simulation of moving multiple body problems. Chawla held a Certificated Flight Instructor rating for airplanes, gliders and Commercial Pilot licenses for single and multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes and gliders. After becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in April 1991, Chawla applied for the NASA Astronaut Corps. She joined the corps in March 1995 and was selected for her first flight in 1996.

Her first space mission began on November 19, 1997, as part of the six-astronaut crew that flew the Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-87 . Chawla was the first Indian woman to fly in space. She spoke the following words while traveling in the weightlessness of space, "You are just your intelligence." On her first mission, Chawla traveled over 10.4 million miles (16737177.6 km) in 252 orbits of the earth, logging more than 372 hours (15 days and 12 hours) in space. During STS-87, she was responsible for deploying the Spartan Satellite which malfunctioned, necessitating a spacewalk by Winston Scott and Takao Doi to capture the satellite. A five-month NASA investigation fully exonerated Chawla by identifying errors in software interfaces and the defined procedures of the flight crew and ground control. After the completion of STS-87 post-flight activities, Chawla was assigned to technical positions in the astronaut office to work on the space station.

In 2001, Chawla was selected for her second flight as part of the crew of STS-107 . This mission was repeatedly delayed due to scheduling conflicts and technical problems such as the July 2002 discovery of cracks in the shuttle engine flow liners. On January 16, 2003, Chawla finally returned to space aboard Space Shuttle Columbia on the ill-fated STS-107 mission . The crew performed nearly 80 experiments studying Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. During the launch of STS-107 , Columbia ' s 28th mission, a piece of foam insulation broke off from the Space Shuttle external tank and struck the left-wing of the orbiter. Previous shuttle launches had seen minor damage from foam shedding, but some engineers suspected that the damage to Columbia was more serious. NASA managers limited the investigation, reasoning that the crew could not have fixed the problem if it had been confirmed. When Columbia re-entered the atmosphere of Earth , the damage allowed hot atmospheric gases to penetrate and destroy the internal wing structure, which caused the spacecraft to become unstable and break apart. After the disaster, Space Shuttle flight operations were suspended for more than two years, similar to the aftermath of the Challenger disaster . Construction of the International Space Station (ISS) was put on hold; the station relied entirely on the Russian Roscosmos State Corporation for resupply for 29 months until Shuttle flights resumed with STS-114 and 41 months for crew rotation.

Chawla died on February 1, 2003, in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, along with the other six crew members, when the Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere , shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107. Chawla's remains were identified along with those of the rest of the crew members and were cremated and scattered at Zion National Park in Utah in accordance with her wishes.

US mission named after Kalpana Chawla
US spacecraft named after late Indian-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla.
Asteroid 51826 Kalpana chawla , one of seven named after the Columbia ' s crew.
On February 5, 2003, the Prime Minister of India , Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced that the meteorological series of satellites, MetSat, was to be renamed "Kalpana". The first satellite of the series, "MetSat-1", launched by India on September 12, 2002 was renamed "Kalpana-1".
74th Street in the "Little India" of Jackson Heights , Queens , New York City , New York , United States has been renamed "Kalpana Chawla Way" in her honor.
The Kalpana Chawla Award was instituted by the Government of Karnataka in 2004 to recognize young women scientists.
NASA has dedicated a supercomputer to Chawla.
One of Florida Institute of Technology's student apartment complexes, Columbia Village Suites, has halls named after each of the astronauts, including Chawla.
The NASA Mars Exploration Rover mission has named seven peaks in a chain of hills, named the Columbia Hills, after each of the seven astronauts lost in the Columbia shuttle disaster. One of them is Chawla Hill, named after Chawla.
Steve Morse from the band Deep Purple created the song "Contact Lost" in memory of the Columbia tragedy along with her interest in the band. The song can be found on the album Bananas .
Novelist Peter David named a shuttlecraft, the Chawla , after the astronaut in his 2007 Star Trek novel, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Before Dishonor .
The Kalpana Chawla ISU Scholarship fund was founded by alumni of the International Space University (ISU) in 2010 to support Indian women's participation in international space education programs.
The Kalpana Chawla Memorial Scholarship program was instituted by the Indian Students Association (ISA) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 2005 for meritorious graduate students.
The Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Alumni Award at the University of Colorado , given since 1983, was renamed after Chawla.

The girls' hostel at Punjab Engineering College is named after Chawla. In addition, an award of INR twenty-five thousand, a medal, and a certificate is instituted for the best student in the Aeronautical Engineering department.
The Government of Haryana established the Kalpana Chawla Planetarium in Jyotisar, Kurukshetra .
The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, named the Kalpana Chawla Space Technology Cell in her honor.
Delhi Technological University named a girls' hostel block after Chawla.
A military housing development at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, has been named Columbia Colony and includes a street named Chawla Way.
Hostel block in Pondicherry University have been named after Chawla.
Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC) is a Medical College located in Karnal, Haryana , India named after Chawla.
The Kalpana One Space Settlement is named in her honor.
A Cygnus spacecraft by Northrop Grumman delivering supplies to the ISS, on their 14th contracted mission, has been named the "S.S. Kalpana Chawla" after her.
This page was last modified on 27 October 2023, at 13:12. Suggest an edit .

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Kalpana Chawla Facts & Worksheets

Kalpana chawla was the first indian-american astronaut in space. she was part of the crew that flew on the sts-107 columbia., search for worksheets, download the kalpana chawla facts & worksheets.

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Table of Contents

Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-American astronaut in space . She was part of the crew that flew on the STS-107 Columbia.

See the fact file below for more information on the Kalpana Chawla or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Kalpana Chawla worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Kalpana graduated from Tagore School, Karnal, India , in the year 1976.
She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India, in 1982.
Shortly after, she migrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen.
She then moved on to gain her Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas in the year 1984.
Afterward, she earned a Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado in the year 1988.

EARLY CAREER

Kalpana Chawla was born on July 1, 1961, in Karnal, India. She was the youngest out of four children. Her name Kalpana means “idea” or “imagination.” Her full name is pronounced as CULL-puh-na CHAV-la.
Kalpana Chawla started working at the NASA Ames Research Center in the year 1988. She focused on the area of powered lift computational fluid dynamics. She concentrated her research on the simulation of complex airflows that were encountered around aircraft. An example of this was the Harrier in “ground-effect.”
After completing that project, she supported research in mapping of flow solvers to parallel computers and testing these solvers by carrying out powered lift computations.
In the year 1993, she became a part of Overset Methods Inc., in Los Altos, California . Here, she became the Vice President and Research Scientist and formed a team with other researchers who also specialized in simulation of moving multiple body problems. She handled the development and implementation of efficient techniques to perform aerodynamic optimization.
The results of Kalpana’s work were documented in technical conference papers and journals.

WORKING WITH NASA

In December of the year 1994, Kalpana Chawla was selected by NASA. In March of the following year (1995), she was sent to Johnson Space Center as an astronaut candidate in the 15th group of astronauts.
She spent a year completing her training and evaluation. Afterward, she was assigned as crew representative and was tasked to work on technical issues for the Astronaut Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branches. In November of the year 1996, Kalpana Chawla was assigned as a mission specialist and prime robotic arm operator on STS-87.
Then, in January of the year 1998, she was assigned as crew representative for shuttle and station flight crew equipment.
She served as lead for Astronaut Office’s Crew Systems and Habitability section. She flew on STS-87 in the year 1997 and on STS-107 in the year 2003.
Over the course of her two missions, Chawla logged 30 days, 14 hours, and 54 minutes in space.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE

In the year 1997, Kalpana Chawla flew on STS-87 Columbia from November 19 to December 5. STS-87 was the United States’ fourth Microgravity Payload mission, and it focused on studies to see how the weightlessness of space affects different physical processes, as well as observations of the Sun’s outer atmospheric layers.
Two members of the crew took part in an EVA (extravehicular activity) that involved the manual capture of a Spartan satellite as well as the testing of EVA equipment and procedures for potential Space Station assembly. STS-87 orbited the Earth 252 times, covering a distance of 6.5 million miles in 376 hours and 34 minutes.
STS-107 is a spacecraft that is currently in orbit. From January 16 to February 1, 2003, Columbia traveled. The flight was 16 days long and was solely devoted to science and research missions. The team worked in two shifts for a total of 24 hours per day. They were able to complete approximately 80 experiments as a result of this.
The space shuttle was launched into orbit and returned to Earth on February 1, 2003. It was expected to touch down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. A briefcase-sized piece of insulation had broken off during launch, destroying the shuttle’s thermal protection device, the shield that protects it from heat during re-entry.
As the shuttle passed through the atmosphere, hot gas streaming into the wing caused it to break up.
When the wing broke, the aircraft became unstable and began to pitch and roll. In less than a minute, the damage caused the spacecraft to depressurize, which killed all the crew suddenly. The violent entry into the atmosphere caused the shuttle to break up in the skies above Texas. The accident was the second major disaster for the space shuttle program, following the 1986 explosion of the shuttle Challenger.
In the accident, the whole crew was killed. There were a total of seven people including Chawla who perished: Michael Anderson, Rick D. Husband, David Brown, William McCool, Laurel Clark, and Illan Ramon.

KALPANA CHAWLA’S LEGACY

The events of the space shuttle have been officially studied and written on in order to learn more about what happened and how to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
There have been a few documentaries made about the crew of the Columbia. “Astronaut Diaries: Remembering the Columbia Shuttle Crew” (2005) and “Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope,” which centered on Ilan Ramon, are two examples (2013).
In 2010, the Arlington College of Engineering at the University of Texas dedicated a Kalpana Chawla memorial. The exhibit featured a flight suit, images, biographical details about Chawla, and a flag flown over the Johnson Space Center during a memorial for the Columbia astronauts when it first opened.

Kalpana Chawla Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Kalpana Chawla across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Kalpana Chawla worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Kalpana Chawla who was the first Indian-American astronaut in space. She was part of the crew that flew on the STS-107 Columbia.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

School Spirit
Training for Space
Going on a Trip
Kalpana’s Journey
Comparing Missions
Searching from Space
Dear Kalpana
Celebrating Life

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Astronaut Kalpana Chawla Essay For Students And Children

admin June 22, 2018 Essays in English 34,197 Views

She got Admission in graduation in Punjab University and was the only girl in Aeronautics. After that she went to America for future studies. In 1984, She completed her post graduation in Aerospace Engineering from Texas University. In 1988, She got doctorate degree from Colorado University. After that she began her career in Aims. Research centre of NASA.

In 1993, she became the Vice-chairperson of overset Pathatenk of California. In 1994, she was accepted as a space passenger by Nasa. In 1995, she became a member of space zone. Before going to space, Kalpana told that going again in space was like a fulfillment of her dream. Dreaming of going to space, Kalpana also wanted to land at moon. In these ten years, Kalpana was true to her responsibilities. According to her teacher, Kalpana had keen interest in science right from the beginning. So, she dreamt to going to space from childhood. Due to her interest in science. her father inspired her to go for higher studies.

But unfortunately, when Kalpana after doing research in space was returning to earth, the space shuttle Colombia burst at a height of 2 lacs feet. This was a heart breaking news for especially the staff of NASA, her school companions and teacher. This news spread like a wild fire in the world. No one was abic to believe it. The whole world was in grief. Though Kalpana had left this world, but she had inspired thousands of women in the world to go space for the benefit of human beings.

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Very good inspirational essay.

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COMMENTS

Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla (17 March 1962 - 1 February 2003) was an Indian-born American astronaut and aerospace engineer who was the first woman of Indian origin to fly to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator aboard STS-87.. Chawla's second flight was on STS-107, the final flight of Columbia, in 2003.
Kalpana Chawla: The First South Asian American Woman in Space
Kalpana Chawla, PhD, was an engineer, pilot, and astronaut who spent more than 30 days in space over two Space Shuttle missions. Chawla was born in Karnal, India, and was fascinated by flight since her childhood. She earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Panjab Engineering College, a master's degree in aerospace ...
Kalpana Chawla: Biography & Columbia Disaster
Columbia disaster. Chawla's legacy. Resources. Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian-born woman to go to space in 1997. Six years later, on February 1, 2003, Chawla died when the space shuttle ...
Kalpana Chawla Essay for Students and Children
500+ Words Essay on Kalpana Chawla. Kalpana was the First spacewoman of India. It was the dream that many Indians dreamt of but only Kalpana was able to fulfill it. She had various ambitions in minds from her childhood only. Moreover, she always had an interest in aircraft, and because of that, she took aeronautical engineering.
Chawla, Kalpana
Kalpana Chawla was born on July 1, 1961, in Karnal, India, in the farming state of Haryana, ... In her first assignment, she served as crew representative working on technical issues, including the testing of space shuttle-control software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. Into space. In November 1996, ...
Dr. Kalpana Chawla
Her assignments included work on development of Robotic Situational Awareness Displays and testing space shuttle control software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. In November, 1996, Kalpana Chawla was assigned as mission specialist and prime robotic arm operator on STS-87. In January 1998, she was assigned as crew representative ...
Kalpana Chawla Essay For Students In English
500+ Words Essay on Kalpana Chawla. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She is an inspiration to millions of women who want to build their careers in aerospace. Kalpana Chawla said that she never dreamed, as a child, that she would cross the frontiers of space. It was enough that her parents allowed her to attend ...
PDF Biographical Data
assignments included work on development of Robotic Situational Awareness Displays and testing space shuttle control software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. In November, 1996, Kalpana Chawla was assigned as mission specialist and prime robotic arm operato-r on STS87. In January 1998, she was assigned as crew representative for ...
Kalpana Chawla Essay in English for Students
Kalpana Chawla Essay - Kalpana Chawla was the first woman in space from India. Help children read Kalpana Chawla essay in English, available at BYJU'S.
Kalpana Chawla: Death, Story, Husband, and Biography in English
Kalpana Chawla's second space assignment, STS-107, changed into a testament to her unwavering dedication to medical exploration. On January sixteen, 2003, Chawla embarked on this fateful journey aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, becoming a member of a numerous team of fellow astronauts. The venture aimed to behavior groundbreaking research ...
The Incredible Legacy of Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, India, on July 1, 1961. She was one of four children, and studied hard in school her whole childhood, having an early passion for space and being an astronaut. Her primary school allowed two girls a year to visit NASA, which may have been one of the factors that inspired her to pursue aeronautic studies. ...
Who Was Kalpana Chawala: Early Life, History, NASA Career & Legacy
Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut and engineer. She is also the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She first flew to space in 1997 on Space Shuttle Columbia, where played the role of mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. Her second and final flight on Space Shuttle Columbia was in 2003 where she perished ...
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From a very young age, Kalpana Chawla knew she wanted to fly. She would ask her father to take her on plane rides at the flying club near her home in Karnal, India. Her interest in flying led her to pursue a career in engineering. NASA. This is a photo of Kalpana Chawla in the space shuttle Columbia on January 27, 2003.
Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla (17th March 1962 - 1st February 2003) was born in Karnal, India. She completed her earlier schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School, Karnal. She is the first Indian-born woman and the second person in space from this sub-continent. After graduating in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College ...
From Karnal to Columbia: The Inspiring Journey of Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, a city in the state of Haryana in India. She grew up in a middle-class family and developed a passion for flying from a young age.
Astronaut Never Took 'No' for an Answer
The town where Kalpana Chawla grew up, and began dreaming first of flight, then of space, is a staid planned city of 300,000, whose new sectors were given names like "Urban Estate" and "Model Town ...
UTA Remembers Kalpana Chawla, Columbia Crew 15 Years Later
Included in that group was Kalpana Chawla, one of UTA's most celebrated graduates and the first Indian-born woman to fly in space. Chawla earned her master of science degree in aerospace engineering from UTA in 1984. She was the second UTA graduate to become an astronaut, following in the footsteps of Robert L. Stewart (MSAE '72). ...
The edge of time, the persistence of imagination
Kalpana Chawla is known for being the first female of Indian descent to travel into space. Having held a lifelong fascination with the celestial world, she moved to the United States in 1982 to pursue a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Kalpana Chawla Facts for Kids
Kalpana Chawla (March 17, 1962 - February 1, 2003) was an American astronaut, engineer, and the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. In 2003, Chawla was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re ...
Kalpana Chawla Facts, Worksheets, Education & Career For Kids
Kalpana Chawla was born on July 1, 1961, in Karnal, India. She was the youngest out of four children. Her name Kalpana means "idea" or "imagination.". Her full name is pronounced as CULL-puh-na CHAV-la. Kalpana Chawla started working at the NASA Ames Research Center in the year 1988.
Astronaut Kalpana Chawla Essay For Students And Children
Kalpna Chawla was born 42 year ago in 1961, in the Karnal district of Haryana state, India. She got her primary education in Tagore Bal Niketan School. She was intelligent right from her childhood. She went to space again on 16th January, 2003 with her seven companions. She got Admission in graduation in Punjab University and was the only girl ...
In pictures: Space Shuttle Columbia's final flight
On January 16, 2003, NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off on a clear blue morning, carrying astronauts Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel B. Clark, Rick D. Husband ...
Instagram video by kalpana kushwaha • Jan 5, 2024 at 6:22 AM
Instagram video by kalpana kushwaha • Jan 5, 2024 at 6:22 AM. 119 likes, 20 comments - kalpana_chawla_8524January 5, 2024 on.