Kalpana Chawla: Fearlessly Aiming for the Stars

by Linda H. Sittig

Many of us will gaze up in the night sky and try to locate a particular star or planet or follow a moving satellite. But once upon a time, there was a young girl in India whose dream was to leave the bounds of Earth and travel into space.

That young girl was Kalpana Chawla.

The first thing you notice about Kalpana in photos is her broad smile. It is almost as if she is living her life’s dream and can’t stop grinning.

Perhaps not as well-known as Sally Ride, Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-born American woman to travel into space after becoming an astronaut at age 35.

HER STORY BEGINS

Born in India, the youngest of four siblings in March 1962, Kalpana became fascinated with airplanes from an early age. It wasn’t long before she asked her father to take her to a local flying club so she could see the planes up close.

Her parents encouraged her in her studies, and Kalpana excelled in school. When further education was still a luxury for girls, Kalpana’s mother supported the idea that her daughter should apply to Punjab Engineering College.

In college, she pursued a degree in aeronautical engineering, even though her professors tried to explain it would be a limited career path. Nevertheless, she persevered.

Because there was not a viable space program in India, Kalpana emigrated to the United States in 1982 and, by age 26, earned a Masters’ Degree from the University of Texas and then a Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado. Three years later, she was sworn in as a U.S. citizen and applied to NASA. Along the way, she also became a certified pilot.

LIFE WITH NASA

By 1994 Kalpana was chosen to be an astronaut candidate with NASA. It would take three rigorous years of training before she embarked on her first space flight. That flight was on board the space shuttle Columbia STS-87. The shuttle orbited the Earth 252 times in just over two weeks. One of her jobs as a mission specialist was operating the shuttle’s prime robotic arm. Five other astronauts were with her as the historic November 1997 mission concluded its last orbit and returned to Earth.

Believing that Indian girls deserved to learn about space flight, Kalpana asked NASA to invite two girls from her secondary school each summer to attend the Summer Space Experience Program. Since 1998 two Indian girls have arrived in Houston, Texas, as participants.

What is it like to travel aboard a rocket? Kalpana says, “When you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar system.”

In 2000 Kalpana was chosen for a second voyage into space, this time on the Columbia space shuttle STS-107, but repeated delays occurred. Finally, on January 16, 2003, a crew consisting of Kalpana, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Laurel Clark, Rick Husband, William McCool, and Ilan Ramon shot into space.

Together they completed nearly 80 experiments studying space science, including astronaut health and safety.

However, during their launch, a section of foam insulation broke free from an external tank and struck the port wing. Although foam shedding had occurred on previous launches, no one could know that it would prove fatal this time.

As Columbia began its return and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, hot gases penetrated the internal wing structure, causing immediate aircraft disintegration.

At age 41, Kalpana Chawla died instantly alongside her crew.

ONE WITH THE UNIVERSE

Today there is an asteroid that carries her name, a lunar crater named after her, a series of satellites dedicated to her memory, a street in New York City now bears her name, and perhaps the most poignant – the Kalpana Chawla Award was instituted in India to recognize young Indian women scientists.

If you ever go hiking in Zion National Park in Utah, USA, that is where Kalpana’s ashes were scattered, as per her wishes. And the next time you gaze up into the night sky, whisper her name in remembrance.

Thank you to blog follower Eileen Rice, who suggested I learn about Kalpana. I’m glad I did.

Please forward this month’s blog to friends and share Kalpana’s story. My three books of historical fiction and my narrative non-fiction book are all available in bookstores and on line.

Happy Reading!

~ linda