A Sikh Woman Who Lived The Space Dream

Admin
Feb 5, 2017
2 min read

Her name was listed at the top of the list of most celebrated Indian-born high achievers. Almost all reports described her achievements as "doing her country proud." An inspiration to many women around the world.

KALPANA CHAWLA

A Sikh Woman Who Lived

The Space Dream

Who was Kalpana Chawla?

She was an Indo-American astronaut and the first woman of Indian origin in space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. The mission began on November 19, 1997, and Kalpana was a part of a six-astronaut crew.

space shuttle columbia crew sts 5

When asked where she finds her inspiration, she said, "it is easy for

me to be inspired by seeing somebody who just goes all out to do something. I would say I have been inspired by explorers, I think one thing just stands out is their perseverance in how they carried out what they wished to carry out"

She was born on March 17, 1962 in a small town of Karnal in northern India, where getting education for a girl was a taboo.

While other children of her age dressed their dolls, she liked to draw pictures of air-planes.

She had a very inquisitive mind and determination to follow her dreams.

A childhood picture of Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana was raised in a middle class family, both her parents were supportive and helped her to pursue her dreams.

Kalpana Chawla completed her early education in Punjab.

She graduated from Tagore School, Karnal in 1976. After finishing school Kalpana pursued a course in aeronautical engineering at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh in 1982.

She moved to the United States in 1982 and obtained a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984.

Kalpana Chawla in October 1995 when she was an astronaut candidate working at NASA Ames. (Photo: NASA)

Determined to become an astronaut even in the face of the Challenger disaster, Chawla went on to earn a second Masters in 1986 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

In 1997, she became the first Indian-born woman and the second Indian person to fly in space.

Kalpana's father Banarasi Lal Chawla has said, "she did Nitnem Sahib and recited Japji Sahib whilst she worked"

(a Sikh prayer)

In 2000, Kalpana was selected for her second flight as a part of the crew of STS-107. The mission got repeatedly delayed and was finally launched in 2003.

The crew of STS-107 in October 2001. From left to right: Brown, Husband, Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Anderson, McCool, Ramon

Her second flight was also her last. Kalpana Chawla died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster which occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, with the death of all of seven crew members.

When the sad news reached her home town, an administrator at her high school recalled “She always said she wanted to reach the stars. She went there, and beyond.”

Watch Her Story: