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Kalpana Chawla, born March 17, 1962, was the first Indian woman in space twice. She died in the 2003 Columbia disaster and remains an inspiration, especially for young women.
Kalpana Chawla Birth Anniversary: She was born in Haryana’s Karnal on March 17, 1962. (File pic)
Kalpana Chawla Birth Anniversary 2025: For the past several years, Kalpana Chawla has been serving as a major source of inspiration for people across all age groups, especially young women, in India and abroad. Chawla, who was born on March 17, 1962, was the first Indian woman to go to space twice in her lifetime. She passed away in a major mishap that Space Shuttle Columbia encountered while returning to the Earth in February 2003.
After being interested in aviation during her childhood days, Kalpana not just went on to fulfill her dream of becoming an astronaut, but managed to cement her legacy as a role model for millions.
10 Facts About Kalpana Chawla
- The national hero of India was born in Haryana’s Karnal on March 17, 1962. She completed her initial studies in her hometown itself and later went on to pursue aeronautical engineering at the Chandigarh-based Punjab Engineering College. She is said to be the first woman to pursue that course.
- After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in India, Kalpana Chawla decided to shift to the US in 1982 to take part in a Master’s programme.
- While in the United States, she received a Master’s of Science degree in aerospace engineering in 1984 from the University of Texas. This was followed by a doctorate of philosophy in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado in 1988.
- Kalpana Chawla was very fascinated by aeroplanes as a child and even used to be a visitor at local flying clubs with her father. Shortly after completing her studies, she went on to join the Ames Research Centre of NASA. She began work at the US space agency in 1988 after finishing her PhD.
- After being associated with NASA for a couple of years, she was finally selected as the astronaut candidate in 1994.
- In 1997, she got her maiden chance to fly to space on Space Shuttle Columbia, wherein she was appointed as the mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator for the mission.
- During her time, she even spoke to the then-Indian Prime Minister IK Gujral and showed him photographs of the Himalayas captured from space.
- Her second and final journey to space was on STS-107 in 2003. The 16-day flight journey saw an unfortunate ending as the spacecraft disintegrated while returning into the Earth’s atmosphere. All the seven crew members onboard, including Kalpana Chawla, died in the incident. After this incident, the Space Shuttle Columbia’s mission came to a halt for several years.
- As per Kalpana Chawla’s wish, her remains were cremated and scattered at the National Park in Utah. She was married to Jean Pierre Harisson for two decades before passing away in February 2003.
- For her significant contributions, Kalpana Chawla has been honoured with several medals and awards from the Indian government as well as in the US. The first satellite under the Met-Sat series was renamed as Kalpana-1 to commemorate her legacy.
- Location :
Haryana, India, India