Remembering Kalpana Chawla: Here are some interesting facts of India-born American woman astronaut

Indian-born American astronaut Kalpana Chawla was aboard the Columbia space shuttle when it was destroyed in an accident on February 1, 2003. On the mission, Rick Husband, David M. Brown, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon and Laurel Clark were also killed.


Born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana, Chawla was fascinated by aircraft and flying as a child. She used to accompany her father to local flying clubs to see the planes. She completed her schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School in Karnal. Punjab Engineering College awarded her a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering.



She moved to America in 1982 to pursue her dream of becoming an astronaut. She earned her Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. She also held a doctorate in aerospace engineering. She began working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States in 1988.


Kalpana launched into space for the first time on November 19, 1997. She was one of six astronauts on the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-87. When Kalpana launched her first space mission in 1997, she not only fulfilled a childhood dream, but she also set a milestone and broke a record. With this, she gave many young girls in the country a new vision. She finished 252 orbits of the Earth in 15 days and 16 hours on her first space mission.


Kalpana and six other astronauts boarded the STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003. The Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, killing all on board. Kalpana Chawla and Jean-Pierre Harrison got married in 1983.

FAQs

Q1. How many times did Kalpana Chawla go to space?
Two times (STS-87 in 1997 and STS-107 in 2003)


Q2. Kalpana Chawla was married to whom?
Jean-Pierre Harrison