Kalpana Chawla, the National Hero of India, was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana. Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian woman to go to space. She was an Indian-American astronaut who achieved what most people are even afraid of dreaming. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman to study Aeronautical Engineering at Punjab Engineering College. After attaining her Bachelor’s Degree, Kalpana Chawla moved to the United States to pursue her Master’s. Kalpana Chawla did everything in order to fulfil her motto, which was “follow your dreams”.
Kalpana Chawla was fascinated by aeroplanes and flying as a kid. She used to visit local flying clubs with her father and would see the planes. Kalpana Chawla started working at NASA in 1988 after she completed her second Master’s degree and PhD.
On the birth anniversary of astronaut Kalpana Chawla, here are some interesting facts about her life.
1. Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian woman who had the opportunity of going to space twice in her lifetime.
2. Kalpana Chawla’s first journey into space was on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997, wherein Chawla flew as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator.
3. Kalpana Chawla’s second and final journey into space was on STS-107, which disintegrated while returning into the Earth’s atmosphere
4. Kalpana Chawla along with six other crew members died in the ill-fated incident of STS-107, following which Space Shuttle Columbia’s mission was halted for many years.
5. Kalpana Chawla spoke to India’s Prime Minister IK Gujral and showed him the pictures of the Himalayas as captured from space.
6. Kalpana Chawla has received many medals, awards, and recognition posthumously from both the Indian government and the US government for her contributions.
7. Kalpana Chawla was married to Jean Pierre Harisson for 20 years before her demise in February 2003.
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