Kalpana Who we Repect And Admire

Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana on 1st July,1961. Her father Banarsi Lal Chawala was then a leading industrialist of Karnal and owned a Tyre factory. Her mother Sanyogita Chawla, a housewife, expected a boy as her last child, when Kalpana was born. In 1976, Kalpana did her schooling from Tagore Bal Niketan School, Karnal. She did her pre-university and pre-engineering rom Dalal Singh College, Karnal. She then graduated with B.sc (Engg) degree in Aeronautics from Panjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering in 1984 from University of Texas, Doctorate of Philisophy in aerospace engineering from University of Colorado, 1988

Family Back ground:

Her elder sister Sunita Chaudhary and her sister in law, Anjali Chawla are ardent bird watchers in Delhi. Her brother Sanjay is a businessman. Kalpana got married to Jean Pierre Harrison, a flying instructor in 1984.

Hobbies: Kalpana chawla enjoyed flying, hiking, back-packing and reading. She held Certified Flight Instructors licese with airplane and glider ratings, Commercial Pilots license for single and multi engine land and seaplanes, Gliders, and instrument rating for airplanes. She enjoyed fflying aerobatics and tail wheel airplanes.

Columbia, the American space shuttle was on its 255th journey around the earth. The astronauts on board Columbia were excited; for Columbia was getting redy for its re-entry. It was Tuesday, 1 February 2003. Florida weather forecast and predicted an excellent Saturday. People all over the world, especially from India were waiting for the landing with bated breath. For Indians, this was thrilling event because one of the crew was Kaloana Chawla, the first India born woman to go into space.

The space shuttle turned its nose towards the earth Space watchers were all excited. The touchdown time was 9.16 A.M. Just when everything looked allright, there was a mojor problem in the space shuttle and it caught fire and broke apart. The space shuttle broke into pieces. All this happened barely eleven minutes before the touchdown time.

Indians who are were waiting to celebrate the touchdown were deeply moved at the sight of the disintegration of the space shuttle. Then the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee sent a special message to American President mouring the death of the crew of Columbia. As a reverence to Kalpana Chawla, India renamed its first weather Satellite KALPANA-1

Kalpana was born on 1 july 1961 in Karnal near Delhi. She was the daughter of Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanyogita. She had a fency for flying in the sky. While riding to her school on a bicycle, she would look up every now and then at the planes zooming in the sky. Her brother Sanjay would warn her , sister, mind the road. Later, with her fathers consent, she flew in Pushpak and even sailed a glider.

As a young girl, Kalpana would sleep in the front yard of the house during summer looking at stars. She wished she had a telescope. At school while her friends drew figures of houses and plants, sining and karate were her hobbies. She always said, Im not just another girl.

Once Kalpana had a chance of seeing the airplanes that J.R.D Tata flew, hanging in one of the aerodromes. This was like entering a new world. After her school education, she opted for Aerospace Engineering at Punjab Engineering college, Chandighar. She was the only woman student pursuing this course at that time. She earned her degree and moved to the U.S.A . she joined the University of Texas. Here she did her Masters Degree in Aerospace Engeering. She got Ph.D. from Colorado University in 1988. Later she joined NASA Ame Reasearch Centre. NASA trained her to be an Astonaut. She had a chance to travel in to space in crew member of the Columbia expedition. This journey started on 16 Jan 2003. The crew conducted more than 80 experiments. But, on their returns journey all the seven members of the crew perished.

Snjay, Kalpanas brother said, To me, my sister is not dead. She is immortal. Isnt that what a star is? Yes! Our dear Kalpana Chawla is immortal.

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