Kalpana Chawla Biography

Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, India. Died on February 1, 2003, when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, Kalpana Chawla was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. She was the first Indian – American astronaut and the first Indian-female astronaut.

Kalpana Chawla Education

Kalpana Chawla completed her earlier schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Sr. Sec. School, Kalpana pursued a bachelor of engineering in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College at Chandigarh in 1982.

She moved to America in 1982 at the age of 20 and obtained an M.S. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984, and went on to earn a second Master’s in 1986 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Kalpana Chawla Career

In 1988, Chawla joined NASA‘s Ames Research Center as vice president of Overset Methods, Inc. Her work focused on understanding how air flows around an aircraft during flight and incorporating computers into the work.

In 1994, Chawla was selected as an astronaut candidate. After a year of training, she became a crew representative for the Astronaut Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branches, where she worked with Robotic Situational Awareness Displays and tested software for the space shuttles.

Kalpana was selected for her first flight in 1997. She spent 372 hours in space and completed 252 Earth orbits on her first trip to space. The shuttle carried out several experiments, including projects studying plant reproduction in microgravity and how materials behave in space.

In 2000, Chawla was selected for her second voyage into space, to serve as a mission specialist on STS-107. The mission was delayed several times before finally launching on Jan. 16, 2003. Chawla finally returned to space aboard Columbia on the ill-fated STS-107 mission. Chawla’s responsibilities included the microgravity experiments, for which the crew conducted nearly 80 experiments studying earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety.

Kalpana Chawla Death

When Columbia re-entered the atmosphere of Earth on 1 February 2003, the damage allowed hot atmospheric gases to penetrate and destroy the internal wing structure, which caused the spacecraft to become unstable and disintegrate over Texas. Chawla died along with the other six group members.

Awards Won By Kalpana Chawla

Congressional Space Medal of Honor
NASA Space Flight Medal
NASA Distinguished Service Medal

parents and Husband

Kalpana Chawla’s father was Banarasi Lal Chawla and her mother was Sanjyothi Chawla. She was the youngest of four siblings. She was called by her parents Montu until she reached school.

Kalpana Chawla was married to Jean-Pierre Harrison at the age of 21. Jean-Pierre Harrison is a flying instructor and an aviation author.

Frequently Asked Questions

How and when Kalpana Chawla died?

Chawla passed away on Feb. 1, 2003, alongside her crew when the Space Shuttle Columbia malfunctioned due to insulation that had broken off and damaged the thermal protection system of the shuttle’s wing, the shield that protects it from heat during re-entry. As the shuttle passed through the atmosphere, hot gas streaming into the wing caused it to break up. Less than a minute passed before the ship depressurized, killing the crew.

How much time does Kalpana Chawla spend in space?

Kalpana was selected for her first flight in 1997. She spent 372 hours in space and completed 252 Earth orbits on her first trip to space. Second trip Throughout the 16-day flight, the crew completed more than 80 experiments.