Kalpana Chawla Death news shocked her loved ones, setting up curiosity about her death cause among the everyday citizens. Let’s look at how she lost her life untimely.
People who were close to her still mourn their loved one’s loss.
Chawla, 40, was the first woman of Indian origin to travel to space in 1997. The inspirational female icon tragically passed away on 1 February 2003.
Kalpana had an exceptional talent to be selected for the space project. People, mainly the Indian community, expected her bright future.
Many Asian women still see her as an inspiration and found Chawla’s untimely death shocking.
Internet netizens still find her death topic fascinating, and her news resurfaces on the web once again. Many users started their speculation and wondered what went wrong.
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Kalpana Chawla Death: How Did Indian-Born American Astronaut Die?
Unfortunately, Kalpana Chawla, 40, passed away on 1 February 2003. The first Indian-born female astronaut died high in the skies above Texas.
Chawla lost her life in the space shuttle Columbia disaster when it broke apart during re-entry after 16 days in orbit. Her six fellow astronaut colleagues also lost their lives in the crash.
The Indian-born American astronaut was also an aerospace engineer. In 1997, she took her first space flight on Space Shuttle Columbia. She went into space as a primary robotic arm operator and mission specialist.
The first Indian-origin female astronaut took her second flight in 2003 on STS-107. It was also Chawla’s final flight on Columbia Shuttle.
Sadly, seven crew members, including her, died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The spacecraft was torn into pieces while re-entry into our planet’s atmosphere.
Chawla received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor post-obituary. Moreover, streets and institutions were named in her honor, including the Kalpana Chawla Hall at the University of Texas Arlington.
Kalpana Chawla Obituary
Late female astraunaut Kalpana Chawla was born on 17 March 1962. Her parents were residents of Haryana State, India (previous Karnal, East Punjab state)
Her parents admitted her to Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School in Karnal. Young Chawla used to visit local flying clubs to watch airplanes and shuttles with her Father.
She completed her Bachelor’s in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College.
Eventually, in 1982, Kalpana shifted to the United States to gain a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering. She enrolled at the University of Texas at Arlington and earned the degree in 1984.
Chawla was very good at studies and was passionate about learning, so she earned a second Master’s in 1986. In 1988, she got a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering.
Speaking of her married life, Kalpana, 21, tied the knot with Jean-Pierre Harrison on 2 December 1983.
Many filmmakers approached her husband, Harrison, to make a movie on Kalpana’s life following the Columbia disaster. But, the man refused as he wanted to keep their personal matter private.
A satellite named Kalpana or ÑuSat 24 (COSPAR 2022-033X) was launched into space in her honor on 1 April 2022. The satellite was a part of the Satellogic Aleph-1 constellation project.
Moreover, National Geographic’s Indian documentary television series, Mega Icons, dedicated an episode to Chawla’s achievements as the series was based on the lives of prominent Indian personalities.
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