Kalpana Chawla's Birth Anniversary: Netizens pay tribute to 'space star'; remember her

After emigrating to the United States for her studies, Kalpana Chawla was selected by NASA in 1994 to be the first woman of Indian descent to go to space. She was born in Karnal, India, on March 17, 1962. Kalpana was fascinated by planes and flying since childhood and would accompany her father to local flying clubs. She moved to the United States after graduation to pursue a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. During her first mission, she participated in the deployment of a satellite. In 2003, she returned to the ISS for a second mission. She experimented extensively, particularly in the field of microgravity.

Haryana CM remembers Kalpana Chawla on her birth anniversary

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar remembered Kalpana Chawala on her birth anniversary. Sharing her quote- "Do something because you really want to do it. If you're doing it just for the goal and don't enjoy the path, then I think you're cheating yourself."-- Khattar wrote, "Country pride, synonymous with women power, first Indian astronaut, daughter Kalpana Chawla, salute on her birth anniversary." (roughly translated from Hindi)." 

Kalpana Chawla's Birth Anniversary

Social Media users also paid tribute to the 'space star'. One of the users wrote, "She taught girls how to dream big. She taught them that sky is not the limit! On her birth anniversary, tributes to #kalpanachawla, astronaut and the first woman of Indian-origin to have travelled to space. Her work will continue to be an inspiration for generations to come." Another user wrote, "Salute to Kalpana Chawla on her birth anniversary. The first Indian women astronaut go to space, she continues to be a source of inspiration to many in India & around the world." 

Kalpana Chawla logged 30 days, 14 hours and 54 minutes in Space. She tragically passed away in 2003 when the space shuttle Columbia exploded during entry into Earth's orbit, almost 16 minutes before scheduled landing. Kalpana has been honoured by NASA and the US government with a variety of awards, including the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Her name has also been given to a number of streets, universities, and other institutions. Following her death, NASA dedicated a supercomputer in her honour.