She# the shooting star
SHE THE SHOOTING STAR
(KALPANA CHAWLA)
Kalpana Chawla, she set a mighty example for being courageous, dedicated and an independent woman who set her eyes on space and followed through with her dream. In today's time, Kalpana Chawla is a true inspiration for every single girl in India and across the world.” A woman who taught the little girls to dream”. Remembering her, the first Indian woman in space on her death anniversary, it has been 16 years since she left us in Columbia Space Shuttle mission.
Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian born woman to go to space in 1997. Six years later, on February 1st, 2003, Chawla died when the space shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board.
Kalpana Chawla is an Indian American astronaut and the first Indian woman to fly in space. She was born in Karnal, Haryana, India on March 17, 1962. Kalpana means idea or imagination. She always aimed to become a space scientist during her childhood times.
As a child, she loved drawing pictures of airplanes and see the stars at night. After finishing school, she pursued aeronautical engineering at Punjab Engineering College. She moved to United States in 1982 and obtained a master degree in science in the University of Texas. She earned a doctorate in aeronautical engineering in the newer city of Texas. At the age of 26, her dream came true and she began working with NASA.
In 1997, she became the first Indian born woman and the second personality to fly in space. There was this small-town girl in Karnal. Who dreamed of going into space, she chased her dream as it wasn't available in the country, she went halfway around the world, went after her dream and grabbed it. She was a certified pilot for seaplanes, multi-engine aircraft and also licensed as a flight instructor for gliders. At 26 she joined NASA and worked at the Ames Research Center. Three years later. She became a U.S. citizen and applied to the NASA Astronaut Corps to participate in US space missions. Her first opportunity to go to space came at the age of 35 of abroad, the Space Shuttle Columbia, flight STS-87.
When she was 40 years old, she flew on Columbia, a second time in a crew of seven. The mission was successful but as Columbia re-entered Earth's atmosphere hot atmospheric air entered the shuttle wing. where it had been damaged during takeoff. The shuttle broke apart killing the entire crew and debris landing across the US Southern state. The disaster shook the entire world. She was mourned in the US but also in India, where she had inspired so many Indians to Dream Limitlessly. Awards, satellites, asteroids, Streets, colleges were named after her to recognize her great contribution to science.
She is Kalpana Chawla, the woman who moved heaven and earth, to achieve her dream and inspired many women.
” This planet below you is a campsite, and you know of no other campground.”
~ Kalpana Chawla
