Kalpana Chawla Biography, Early Life, Education, NASA Career, Death, Wikipedia

Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut who made history as the first Indian woman in space. Here is a short biography of her life:

Early life:

Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana, India. Her family had four children, and she was the youngest. She fell in love with aviation and space when she was a child. She received a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College in India in 1982. She eventually moved to the United States to continue her education.

Education:

Chawla completed a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. She ultimately went on to acquire a second Master of Science degree in 1986 and a Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado Boulder.

NASA Career:

Kalpana Chawla joined NASA in 1988. Initially, she worked at NASA's Ames Research Center on various projects, including computational fluid dynamics research. In 1994, she was chosen for the NASA Astronaut Corps and also received United States citizenship. Chawla's first space flight was as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-87, in 1997. She was the main robotic arm operator during the mission, which lasted 16 days. She spent 376 hours and 34 minutes in space.

Death:

Kalpana Chawla and six other crew members died in tragic circumstances. On February 1, 2003, while entering the earth's atmosphere Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed, which was earlier damaged during launch.

Legacy:

Kalpana Chawla's life and work remain inspirational for many, particularly in India, where she is considered a national hero. Her works related to space exploration, as well as her dedication to pursuing her goals in the face of tremendous obstacles, have had a significant influence.

You can get more information about her on Wikipedia.