Kalpana Chawla (17 March 1962 – 1 Feb 2003) was a human being who had boyish behaviour and technical brain who always wanted to fix something at home. Whenever there are requirements of ideas or imaginations or want to think about something out of the box. Kalpana was always the first choice of her teacher and always been recommended in her workspace. In addition to this, she was a good reader, loved backpacking and hiking. But her huge passion for counting stars and getting a ride in planes was one of her dreams in childhood.
I had asked my dad if I could get a ride in one of those planes, he did get us ride on the Pushpak and a Glider. I think that’s really my utmost concern link to aerospace engineering.
Kalpana Chawla
Her entry to NASA was not straight and easy, but behind there was the power of watching dreams every day comes true. The Youngest of four children of Chawla family was Kalpana and her naming system was quite different. They could explain easily to everybody. The name Kalpana means never-ending hub of ideas. It was a kind of in fact labelling to her and this great job was done by her school teacher, looking at her enthusiasm during taking an admission in school at the first time (during primary school admission).
At the beginning of her schooling, first share goes to her mom who had ensured that her kids gets good education. She was born in the era when girls were considered cursed to the nation and the importance to the education contemplating waste of time and money.
The reason behind Name Kalpana Chawla: Limits and Regulations of India Women back in 90s
The women of India were confined to only household chores, raising the kids, and bringing them to school etc. Thoughts lead the man to the successful path, and thus it had happened to Kalpana Chawla. Her name itself was a great source of inspiration, where she could find her way out from the holy earth to explore the orbits of earth and its objects.
Fashion, Style, Make-up, Dress and related words she had hardly uttered and less travelled toward it in her life. Although, she had enough time counting measuring, finding answers of twinkling stars, and study why the Moon shines white and why the Earth is black and sometimes snow-white.
The first mission of Kalpana Chawla was consist of 6.5 million miles in 252 orbits. She was a Mission Specialist, Primary & Robotic Arm Operator on Shuttle Columbia in 1997. It took the complete 376 hours and 34 minutes, moreover she was the first woman from India who flew to space for the first time.
There are so many people who are arguing or fighting over issues which don’t have much relevance. We must all realize it is not worth it. It’s like being in whirlpool which are always present a little behind rock near a river. We seem to be living there in little whirlpools and forget that there is a whole river. The picture is much bigger.
Kalpana Chawla
The last day of Chawla had not set foot back on the earth, it was a disaster of The Shuttle Columbia on the 1st Feb 2003, Kalpana including six were died. The shuttle Columbia was running toward the earth’s atmosphere, it was 231,000 feet (70.41 km) above the California coastline travelling at 23 times the speed of sound (The actual speed of Shuttle 17500 miles (28,163.52 km) per hour). Seven crew members along with Kalpana (including Rick Husband, William C MC Cool, Michael P Anderson, David M Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon) were on the board that broken into pieces 22 minutes before landing.
We lost the data and that’s why we begin to know that we had a bad day.
Milt Heflin (Chief Flight Director NASA)
Also, Read APJ Abdul Kalam on “The Rules For Peaceful Life: Note Depression And Ego”, his inspirational journey and thoughts on his life.
