Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut and aerospace engineer. She was the first woman of Indian origin to travel to space. She was passionate about flying from a young age and worked hard to achieve her dreams. She flew on two space missions, but sadly, she lost her life in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. She is remembered as an inspiration for many young people worldwide.
Early Life and Education of Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana, India. Her family originally came from Gujranwala, Pakistan and moved to India after partition. She had three siblings. As a child, she loved aeroplanes and wanted to study aerospace engineering, but her father wanted to become a doctor or teacher.
She completed her schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School in Karnal. Later, she joined Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh and earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1982. Since India did not offer further studies in aerospace engineering, she moved to the United States.
Higher Studies in the United States
In the United States, Kalpana Chawla completed her Master’s degree (MSc) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. She then pursued a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1988. During her studies, she also took flying lessons and earned licenses to fly planes.
Career of Kalpana Chawla Before NASA
After completing her education, Kalpana Chawla worked as a researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Center in 1988. She specialized in aerodynamics and computational fluid dynamics, studying how air moves around aircraft. Later, she joined a private research company as a scientist and vice president. In the early 1990s, she became a U.S. citizen, which allowed her to apply for NASA’s astronaut program.
Becoming an Astronaut
In 1994, Kalpana Chawla was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA. She trained at the Johnson Space Center and was later assigned to the EVA (spacewalk) and robotics division.
First Space Mission of Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla’s first space journey started on November 19, 1997, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87). She was a mission specialist and operated the shuttle’s robotic arm. During this mission, she helped deploy a satellite named “Spartan.” However, due to a technical issue, the satellite could not function properly, leading to a spacewalk by other astronauts to retrieve it. Despite this problem, she completed her mission successfully and spent 15 days and 16 hours in space, travelling 10.4 millions miles around the Earth.
Second Space Mission of Kalpana Chawla
In 2000, she was selected for her second mission on Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107). The mission faced many delays and finally launched on January 16, 2003. Kalpana Chawla and her team conducted over 80 experiments in space, including studies on fire, crystal growth and plant growth.
Tragic Accident and Death of Kalpana Chawla
On February 1, 2003, while returning to Earth, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated in the atmosphere over Texas. A piece of foam had broken off during launch and damaged the shuttle’s wing, leading to the tragic accident. Kalpana Chawla and six other astronauts lost their lives.
Awards and Legacy of Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla was posthumously honored with many awards, including:
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- NASA Space Flight Medal
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
Many institutions, buildings and even asteroids are named after her. She continues to inspire millions of young students and space enthusiasts across the world.
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