Today is the death anniversary of Kalpana Chawla, the first woman of Indian origin to fly in space. This day is a very sad day for NASA and the space scientists of the whole world. On this day in 2003, America's Space Shuttle Columbia crashed while returning to Earth's atmosphere after ending its space mission.
In this accident, all 7 astronauts aboard the vehicle were killed. India's female astronaut Kalpana Chawla was also a victim of this accident. Let us tell you that Kalpana Chawla, who was born in Karnal, Haryana in the year 1962, went to America at the age of just 20 and two years later got a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering.
- Kalpana joined NASA as an astronaut in 1995 and was selected for her maiden trip in 1998. He spent 372 hours in space and made 252 Earth orbits on his first voyage into space. She was the first Indian lady to travel to the moon.
- Punjab Engineering College awarded Kalpana Chawla her Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering, making her the first woman of Indian heritage to fly in space. Kalpana Chawla came to the United States at the age of 20 and got a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering two years later.
- Kalpana Chawla, who was born in the year 1962 in Karnal, Haryana, loved poetry. Aside from that, she used to take part in school dancing programs.
- Kalpana Chawla was the youngest of four sisters and brothers. At home, he was affectionately known as Montu. Kalpana had told her father that she wanted to be an engineer when she was in the eighth grade, but her father wanted her to be a doctor or a teacher.
- She had always been fascinated by planes and the sky as a child. Let us also mention that she used to accompany her father to the local flying club.
- Kalpana Chawla's final rites were done in Zion National Park, Utah, USA, as per her request, and she was bid farewell there.
- Many universities, scholarships, and even roads have been named in his honor since her death and were completed Northrup Grumman, a US-based aerospace and military corporation has dubbed its spaceship Kalpana Chawla.
- The US space agency NASA dedicated a supercomputer to Kalpana Chawla's memory on May 12, 2004. In ECCO's framework, the SGI Altix 300 supercomputer was employed to deliver high-resolution ocean analysis.
Kalpana Chawla spent 372 hours in space and made 252 Earth orbits on her first spaceflight. She was the first Indian lady to travel to the moon.