Who does not know Kalpana Chawla today, she is such a woman of India, who has spread the fame of her name not only in the country but all over the world. Kalpana Chawla has always been an inspiration to every girl child even when she is alive and even when she is no longer with us. Everyone knows that Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian woman astronaut. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman aeronautical engineer (aeronautical engineering) of India. She has also been a role model for many women in terms of achievement and contribution in the field of aeronautics. She enjoyed aerobatics and flying tailwheel aeroplanes.
Kalpana Chawla was born in the world on 1 July 1961 in Karnal, Haryana. Kalpana was the daughter of Banarasi Lal Chawla, a businessman, and Sanyogita, a simple housewife. Apart from Kalpana, he had two other daughters and a son. Kalpana Chawla's sisters' names are Sunita and Deepa while her brother's name is Sanjay. Kalpana was the youngest of her siblings, so she got more pampering from the family and she fascinated everyone with her playful nature, so she was everyone's favorite. Kalpana's parents were originally from Multan in West Punjab. Karnal came from the district, which is now known as Pakistan. Kalpana Chawla, who is fond of flying, has been an adventurous child since childhood.
Kalpana Chawla had decided to become an astronaut after completing her bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering, but had expressed her desire to learn flying since she was barely 13 years old. Her childhood was different from other girls. She was very fond of sketching and painting aeroplanes. She had a passion for aeroplanes, right from her childhood. She moved to the USA at the age of twenty after completing her engineering degree from Panjab University. There she did her Masters degree and PhD in Aerospace Engineering. She then joined NASA and started her career as a researcher.
She took admission in 1982 to do Masters in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, after which Kalpana Chawla successfully completed it in 1984. Meanwhile, in 1983, she also married Jean-Pierre Harrison. He was a flying instructor and aviation author.
Kalpana Chawla's desire to travel in space was so strong from the beginning that she also did a second Masters in 'Aerospace Engineering' in 1986 and after that she completed her PhD in 'Aerospace Engineering' from the University of Colorado.
Kalpana Chawla's Space Journey:
Kalpana Chawla began working at the NASA Ames Research Center in 1988, where she studied computational fluid dynamics for motorized elevators. They focused their studies on modeling the complex airflows found near aircraft, mainly the Harrier, in "ground effect". Since joining Overset Methods Inc. in 1993, Kalpana Chawla has worked with other researchers to develop a team that focused on modeling situations involving multiple moving bodies. The aerodynamic optimization methods were developed and implemented by him.
She was selected by NASA in December 1994 and started working for the agency in January 1995. In March 1995, her name was brought to the attention of the Johnson Space Center as a candidate for an astronaut role when the 15th group of astronauts was formed. They had to complete one year of training to become Astronaut Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branch Crew Representatives. It was here that he evaluated software for the Space Shuttle and worked with the Robotic Situational Awareness Display .
Kalpana Chawla's first space trip:
On November 20, 1997, Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian woman in space, the American space shuttle Columbia took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. She flew on STS-87 (1997) and STS-107 (2003), logging more than 30 days in space. Kalpana Chawla was part of a six-member crew on the 16-day research mission (January 16 to February 1, 2003). The mission was to launch a free-flying satellite to study the outer atmospheric layers of the Sun. The experimental carrier, stationed at Cargobay, Colombia, carried a variety of high-tech instruments designed to study how the weightless environment of space affects various physical processes.
The first satellite launched by India on September 12, 2002, "METSAT-1", will now be known as "Kalpana-1". 74th Street in the "Little India" section of Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, is named 74th Street Kalpana Chawla Way in her honor. The "Kalpana Chawla Fund for Environmental Stewardship" has also been established in association with the National Audubon Society.
Death of Kalpana Chawla:
India's first woman astronaut Kalpana Chawla's second space journey proved to be her last journey. On February 1, 2003, the American spacecraft returning after completing a 16-day space journey broke down in Colombia at an altitude of 63 km from the Earth as soon as it entered the Earth's atmosphere. And on seeing the spacecraft and the seven passengers aboard died. Went. It was a painful incident not only for NASA but for the whole world. The speed of the spacecraft was 20 thousand kilometers per hour. While the debris of the vehicle fell in the city of Texas, USA.
Achievements of Kalpana Chawla:
Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian woman to travel in space in 372 hours and completed 252 orbits around the earth. Her accomplishments have been a motivation to numerous others in India and abroad. There are many science institutes named after him. Kalpana Chawla was honored with many awards.
1- Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
2- NASA Space Flight Medal.
3- NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
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