Passion Stories

Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut and the first woman of Indian origin to venture into space. Born in India, Chawla pursued her passion for aerospace engineering and earned a Master's degree in the field. She began her career at NASA and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Chawla's historic journey came in 1997 when she served as a mission specialist on the space shuttle Columbia.

She completed her first space mission successfully and later embarked on a second mission in 2003. Tragically, the Columbia disintegrated during re-entry, resulting in the loss of Chawla and her fellow crew members. Despite this tragedy, Chawla's pioneering spirit, dedication, and contributions to space exploration have left an indelible mark on history, inspiring future generations to reach for the stars.