Kalpana Chawla (March 17, 1962 – February 1, 2003) was an Indian-born American astronaut, engineer, and the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She was a key figure in the field of space exploration and remains an inspirational icon for aspiring scientists and astronauts around the world.
KALPANA CHAWLA PROFILE
| Name | Kalpana Chawla |
| Real Name | Kalpana Chawla |
| Date of Birth | 17 March 1962 |
| Date of Death | 1 February 2003 |
| Nationality | Indian- American |
| Occupation | Astronaut and Aerospace Engineer |
| Religion | N/A |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Net Worth | $1.5 Million |
| Copied From | Contents101.com |
KALPANA CHAWLA BIOGRAPHY
Born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana, India, Kalpana grew in a middle-class family. She was the youngest of four siblings and displayed an early interest in flight and aeronautics.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
She completed her early education in Karnal and then pursued a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh, graduating in 1982. Chawla got her Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984 and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1988.
CAREER
Kalpana joined NASA in 1988 as a research scientist, working on various projects related to computational fluid dynamics and aerodynamics. Her work and dedication earned her a spot in NASA’s astronaut program in 1994, making her the first woman of Indian origin to join this prestigious group.
Kalpana’s first mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia was STS-87 (1997). She served as a mission specialist and robotic arm operator, conducting experiments in microgravity. Her second and final mission aboard Columbia was STS-107 (2003).The 16-day mission involved over 80 scientific experiments, exploring Earth’s atmosphere and microgravity.
She has been posthumously honored with several awards, including the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Schools, streets, universities, and even a spacecraft have been named in her honor, including the spacecraft Cygnus NG-14, which was renamed “S.S. Kalpana Chawla” in 2020.
CONTROVERSIES
There are no significant controversies connected to Kalpana Chawla.
PERSONAL LIFE
On December 2, 1983, Kalpana married Jean-Pierre Harrison, a flying instructor and author. Their relationship was marked by shared passions for flight and exploration.
KALPANA CHAWLA NET WORTH
Kalpana had an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.
DEATH
Tragically, on February 1, 2003, Kalpana was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.