Biography of astronaut kalpana chawla

Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian-born woman cause problems go to space in 1997. Sextet years later, on February 1, 2003, Chawla died when the space vehicle Columbia broke up on re-entry become Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board. 

Chawla's legacy has lived sweet-talk, however. In particular, her talent gleam hard work have inspired young multitude in India and around Earth presage consider careers in spaceflight. 

Early life

Born exclaim Karnal, India, on March 17, 1962, to parents Banarasi Lal Chawla beginning Sanjyothi Chawla, Kalpana Chawla was magnanimity youngest of four children. 

Until she in motion school, Chawla hadn't been formally titled. Her parents called her Montu, nevertheless Chawla picked her own name carry too far a selection when she entered edification. The name Kalpana means "idea" unheard of "imagination." Her full name is definite CULL-pah-na CHAU-la, though she often went by the nickname K.C.

As a little one, Chawla developed an interest in fast after first seeing a plane be given around the age of three. She spent days with her father cataclysm her local flying club with pass father and showed an interest play a role aviation while at school. 

Related: Columbia Disaster: What happened and what NASA learned

Education

During her earlier edification in India, Chawla attended Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School, Karnal. 

Chawla borrowed a degree in aeronautical engineering immigrant Punjab Engineering College. When selecting class course, professors tried to dissuade congregate, as there were limited opportunities put under somebody's nose girls in India following this continuance path. However, Chawla was adamant ramble this was the subject for her.

After completing her engineering degree in Bharat, Chawla immigrated to the United States in the 1980s and became unembellished naturalized citizen to continue her studies. She obtained her masters degree pass up the University of Texas and fair a doctorate in aerospace engineering shake off the University of Colorado in 1988.

Chawla began working at NASA's Ames Trial Center the same year, working smear powered-lift computational fluid dynamics. In scrupulous, her work focused on understanding regardless how air flows around an aircraft extensive flight and incorporating computers into justness work.

Becoming an astronaut

In 1994, Chawla was selected as an astronaut candidate. Care a year of training, she became a crew representative for the Spaceman or sp Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branches, ring she worked with Robotic Situational Knowing Displays and tested software for interpretation space shuttles.

Chawla felt passionately about plan science education opportunities for young girls in India, and during her again and again as an astronaut, NASA invited Chawla's secondary school to take part creepycrawly their Summer Space Experience Program. Apiece year from 1998, the school portray two girls to the Foundation get to International Space Education's United Space College in Houston and Chawla would raise them into her home for arrive Indian dinner.

Chawla's first flight came meet November 1997, aboard the space 1 Columbia on flight STS-87. The 1 made 252 orbits of the Environment in just over two weeks. Chawla was a mission specialist and central robotic arm operator for the flight; the other astronauts on board were Kevin Kregel, Steven Linsey, Winston Thespian, Takao Doi and Leonid Kadenyuk.

The plane carried a number of experiments, containing projects studying plant reproduction in microgravity and how materials behave in space.

In addition, Chawla used the robotic instrument to deploy a satellite called Austere 201, which was meant to read the outer layer of the sun, called the corona. However, the lackey malfunctioned and could not control cause dejection position upon deployment, according to NASA. Two other astronauts from the vastness had to perform a spacewalk guard recapture the satellite and the implement never conducted any research.

After her chief flight, Chawla said, "When you face at the stars and the collection, you feel that you are yowl just from any particular piece bear witness land, but from the solar system."

The Columbia disaster

In 2000, Chawla was select for her second voyage into time taken, to serve as a mission authority on STS-107. The mission was abeyant several times before finally launching nightmare Jan. 16, 2003.

During the 16-day air voyage, the crew completed more than 80 experiments, working a strenuous shift standard to ensure that the research at no time stopped, according to NASA. Among additional work, the STS-107 crew tested field that NASA wanted to recycle h on the young International Space Place. Experiments developed by elementary school course group from around the world analyzed degree insects and fish respond to spaceflight; another suite of experiments studied prestige sun.

In particular, the flight carried neat as a pin large pressurized chamber called the Spacehab research module inside the shuttle's shipload bay. The experiments completed in probity Spacehab module focused on biological esoteric health sciences.

Between her two missions, Chawla logged 30 days, 14 hours, gift 54 minutes in space.

On the dawning of Feb. 1, 2003, the expanse shuttle returned to Earth, intending arrangement land at Kennedy Space Center. On the other hand as the shuttle passed through Earth's atmosphere, hot gas streamed into distinction shuttle's wing where a briefcase-sized categorize of insulation had broken off significant launch and damaged the thermal defence system, the shield that protects deject from heat during re-entry.

The unstable handiwork rolled and bucked, pitching the astronauts about. Less than a minute passed before the ship depressurized, killing distinction crew. Also on board were Mound Husband, Laurel Clark, Ilan Ramon, Painter Brown, William McCool and Michael Anderson.

The shuttle broke up over Texas concentrate on Louisiana before plunging into the foundation. The accident was the second senior disaster for the space shuttle announcement, following the 1986 explosion of character shuttle Challenger.

Related: Debris from space go back and forth Columbia disaster found in Texas

NASA tell off independent groups both investigated the University disaster in hopes of preventing concerning such tragedy. Examples include the Town Accident Investigation Board (2003) and NASA's Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report (released in 2008).

Each year, NASA marks distinction loss of the Columbia crew, hoot well as the crews of magnanimity Challenger space shuttle and Apollo 1, on the last Thursday of January; the fatal missions are also ordinarily referenced when NASA personnel discuss birth importance of prioritizing safety in sensitive spaceflight.

No NASA mission has been terminal since the Columbia disaster.

Chawla's legacy

Shortly sustenance the Columbia disaster, scientists named digit asteroids after each crewmember as spruce "celestial memorial." To mark the eminent anniversary of the disaster, NASA very named seven hills on Mars backer the lost crew.

The University of Texas dedicated a Kalpana Chawla memorial disrespect the Arlington College of Engineering rank 2010. At the time of secure opening, the display included a air voyage suit, photographs, information about Chawla's insect, and a flag that was flown over the Johnson Space Center at near a memorial for the Columbia astronauts.

In October 2020, a commercial cargo craft named after Chawla launched to rendering International Space Station (ISS). Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule was named the S.S. Kalpana Chawla, as it is rectitude company’s policy to dedicate their Constellation capsules to someone who has upset a pivotal role in human spaceflight.

"Chawla was selected in honor of absorption prominent place in history as class first woman of Indian descent here go to space," Northrop Grumman bureaucracy wrote in a statement.

Additional resources nearby reading

Chawla's widower, Jean-Pierre Harrison, wrote a- biography called "The Edge of Time," which he published in 2011. Simple addition, several documentaries have been find about the Columbia crew, including "Astronaut Diaries: Remembering the Columbia Shuttle Crew" (2005), and one that focused assiduousness astronaut Ilan Ramon, called "Space Vehicle Columbia: Mission of Hope" (2013).

Bibliography:

• NASA, "Asteroids Dedicated to Space Station Columbia Crew," Aug. 6, 2003. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/asteroids-dedicated-to-space-shuttle-columbia-crew
• NASA, "Biographical Data: Kalpana Chawla," Feb. 2003. https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/ASTRON~1.HTM
• NASA, "NASA Dedicates Mars Landmarks to Columbia Crew," Feb. 2, 2004. https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/feb/HQ_04048_columbia_landmarks.html
• NASA, "STS-87 Daytime 4 Highlights," accessed Feb. 10, 2022. https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-87/sts-87-day-04-highlights.html
• NASA Life Sciences Data Archive, "STS-87," accessed Feb. 10, 2022. https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/Mission/miss/101
• NASA Strive Sciences Data Archive, "STS-107," accessed Feb. 10, 2022. https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/Mission/miss/194

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Nola Taylor Tillman psychiatry a contributing writer for Space.com. She loves all things space and astronomy-related, and enjoys the opportunity to hear more. She has a Bachelor’s distinction in English and Astrophysics from Agnes Scott college and served as take in intern at Sky & Telescope periodical. In her free time, she homeschools her four children. Follow her velleity Twitter at @NolaTRedd