Who was Kalpana Chawla?

Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut and aerospace engineer who was the first woman of Indian origin to fly to space. She was born in Karnal, Haryana, India, in 1962 and earned degrees in aeronautical and aerospace engineering from Panjab Engineering College, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of Colorado Boulder. She worked as an aerospace engineer at NASA Ames Research Center before becoming an astronaut in 1995.

Chawla flew on two Space Shuttle missions. Her first mission, STS-87, launched in 1997 and focused on materials science experiments. Her second mission, STS-107, launched in 2003 and delivered the Space Shuttle Columbia to the International Space Station. Chawla and the other six crew members of STS-107 died when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

Chawla's death was a tragedy, but her legacy continues to inspire people around the world. She was a pioneer for women and people of color in the field of space exploration, and her accomplishments will never be forgotten.

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