Kalpana Chawla Astronaut Date of Birth: 01.07.1961 Country: USA

Biography of Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla was born on July 1, 1961, in the city of Karnal in the state of Punjab, India. She completed her high school education at Tagore School in Karnal in 1976 and went on to enroll at Punjab Engineering College. In 1982, she graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

After completing her studies, Kalpana got married and moved to the United States. In 1984, she earned a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas. She then defended her doctoral dissertation at the University of Colorado in 1988.

In 1988, Kalpana began working as a research scientist at the Ames Research Center in San Jose, California, where she conducted research for NASA. She focused on computer modeling of airflow for Harrier aircraft flights.

In 1993, she transitioned to a position as Vice President and Research Scientist at Overset Methods Inc. Kalpana published numerous papers in the field of aerodynamics and became an expert in her field.

In 1995, Kalpana was selected to be a part of NASA's astronaut group, known as NASA Group 15. She completed the rigorous training required for space travel and became fully prepared for space missions on the Space Shuttle.

From November 19 to December 5, 1997, Kalpana embarked on her first spaceflight as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87). The mission lasted 15 days, 16 hours, 35 minutes, and 1 second.

Tragically, on February 1, 2003, Kalpana Chawla and the rest of the crew on board the Space Shuttle Columbia lost their lives during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

Kalpana Chawla will always be remembered as an inspiring figure in the field of space exploration, and her contributions to the scientific community will continue to have a lasting impact.