Image credit: Wikipedia
Date Of Birth: 1 July , 1961
Birth Place : Karnal, Haryana, India
Occupation : Astronaut
Kalpana Chawla created history as the first Indian and Indo-American woman astronaut. On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated while returning from space, killing her and six other astronauts.
Early Life and Education
Kalpana Chawla was born on July 1, 1961, in a little town called Karnal, Haryana. Her parents, Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyoti, had two daughters, Sunita and Deepa, and one son, Sanjay. Kalpana, as the youngest member of the family, was the most affectionate.
She attended Tagore Public School and later earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab College of Engineering in 1982. That same year, she relocated to the United States. In 1983, she married Jean-Pierre Harrison, a flying instructor and aviation writer.
She graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington with an MS in aerospace engineering in 1984. In 1988, she earned her PhD in the same topic from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Kalpana Chawla Career
Kalpana Chawla is a professional flying instructor who rates aircraft and gliders. She also has a commercial pilot’s licence for single and multi-engine aircraft, hydroplanes and gliders. Kalpana holds a technician level amateur radio licence from the Federal Communications Commission. With various aerospace degrees, she joined NASA in 1993 as Vice President of Overset Methods, Inc.
She has substantial experience in computational fluid dynamics studies on vertical/short takeoff and landings. She was a member of NASA’s ‘Astronaut Corps’ until 1995.
Space Travel:
Kalpana Chawla took her first space trip on November 19, 1987. A team of six astronauts travelled on the Space Shuttle Columbia. Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian woman to journey to space.
Kalpana Chawla also launched a satellite named Spartan, and following the flight, she began working in the space station’s technical department.
Chawla prepared for her second spaceflight in 2001. The spaceship STS-107 was used for this journey.
This travel was postponed several times owing to technological issues. On January 26, 2003, she began her space voyage for the STS-107 mission. During this journey, Chawla and her crew carried out over 80 experiments involving Earth, space science, and astronaut health and safety.
Kalpana Chawla death
The second time they went into orbit was in 2003 aboard the orbit Shuttle Columbia. The space shuttle Columbia exploded on its return flight, 16 minutes before its scheduled landing at the Texas Space Centre. This occurrence occurred exactly at 7:30 p.m. on February 1, 2003. The Columbia spacecraft, which launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre on January 16, 2003, burst into pieces fifteen days later during its return flight, becoming the most tragic event in space history.
What caused the explosion?
The exact reason of the Columbia space shuttle disaster remains unknown. The investigating board reported that one of the Columbia’s wings had been punctured. It was made of carbon fibre, and the hole had created 16 days ago during the launch. However, it is suspected that the high pressure during re-entry caused hot gases to escape through the hole in the wing. It is possible that the hydraulic system inside the spaceship was destroyed, leading it to lose control and explode.
NASA did not carry out any spaceflights or experiments for two years following the tragedy. It took measures.
Also Read: Sunita Williams Biography
Frequently Asked Questions
Kalpana Chawla age?
Kalpana was 40 years old in 2003. She was born on July 1, 1961, in Haryana, India.
Who is Kalpana Chawla husband?
She married aviation journalist and flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison in 1983.
Kalpana Chawla death?
The space shuttle Columbia exploded sixteen minutes before it was supposed to land at the Texas Space Centre on its return flight. The date of this incident was February 1, 2003.
What is Kalpana Chawla education?
In 1982, she graduated from Punjab College of Engineering with a degree in aviation engineering. She graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1984. She obtained her doctorate in the same field from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1988.
Who are Kalpana Chawla children?
Jean-Pierre Harrison and Kalpana Chawla had no children.
Kalpana Chawla achievements?
The first Indian and Indo-American woman to fly in space, she spent 372 hours in a spacecraft and orbited the Earth 252 times.
