Kalpana Chawla — the name that leaves almost all Indians with pride— the first Indian-born woman to fly in space, was born on March 17, 1962. She was an accomplished Indian-American astronaut who tragically lost her life in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.
Even after her death, Kalpna Chawla remains a massive form of inspiration to many Indian women for her achievements as well as for her successful career as an astronaut.
While the girls were daydreaming on open windows with aspirations of fairytales, Kalpana was already floating in the milky way with enthralling puzzles of the universe, and scientific conclusions to contribute to Incredible Innovations.
A Journey to the Stars
Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana and is regarded as a striking astronaut for playing a leading role on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. Working at the forefront of robotic arm operations, Kalpana contributed to successful scientific endeavors and emerged as a powerful role model for Indian women.
In 1997, Kalpana became a part of the ‘Space Shuttle Columbia’ and the first Indian woman to explore space with incredible resilience and astonishing contributions.
She not only stepped into an arena that is considered a territory of men but also topped the segment with her intelligence. On the STS-87 mission, she managed the deployment of the ‘Spartan Satellite.’
Kalpana Chawla also participated in the 28th ambitious space mission of Columbia and the STS-107 launch, but due to serious technical glitches, this mission ended up on a catastrophic note. While she completed around 252 orbits of the earth in 1997, the second opportunity turned into a horrid mishap.
After completing the 16-day intensive scientific research mission, the space shuttle fell apart over the city of Texas, and 7 crew members, including Kalpana Chawla, succumbed to death on February 1, 2003.
A Beacon of inspiration
Kalpana devoted her life to the path of her love and passion for science. She received several awards and honors’ for her bravery, wit, and incredible work.
Kalpana achieved the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the NASA Space Flight Medal, the Nasa Distinguished Service Medal, and many more awards and medals. The Indian government named a Met-Sat series satellite after Kalpana Chawla in 2002. Apart from this, the ‘Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College’ was built in Haryana in 2017.
Before she rocked the ‘Milky-Way’, she was courageous enough to stand by her dreams with strong determination. Her landmarks are an inspiration for the present and future waves of women’s empowerment.
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