Astronaut Profile
Kalpana Chawla
Mission Specialist
Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-born woman to fly in space, and was killed aboard Columbia during STS-107's reentry on February 1, 2003.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Mission Specialist • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
Kalpana Chawla was an aerospace engineer born in Karnal, India, who became the first Indian-born woman to fly in space aboard STS-87 in 1997. She flew a second mission, STS-107, in January 2003, conducting scientific research over sixteen days in orbit. On February 1, 2003, Columbia broke apart during reentry, killing Chawla and all six of her crewmates. She remains one of the most widely honored astronauts in Indian history.
Astronaut Details
Born
July 1, 1961
Died
February 1, 2003
Birthplace
Karnal, India
Role
Mission Specialist
Program
Space Shuttle
Time in Space
31 days, 14 hours, 54 minutes
Missions
STS-87, STS-107
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal (posthumous)
- NASA Space Flight Medal