Tribute to Kalpana Chawla on her 17th Death Anniversary

Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian descent to go to space. She was born on 17 march,1962 in Karnal, Haryana and the first women who went into space in 1997 and became the second Indian person to fly in space following astronaut Rakesh Sharma.

She died on 1st Feb 2003 at the age of 40yrs and fondly been recalled by the world for her outstanding achievements and success in space.
She became the role model for many young women in India as well as around the world.

In 2003 Kalpana Chawla died in a space shuttle disaster in Columbia. Upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere the shuttle disintegrated over Texas.

Kalpana Chawla was retrospectively awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, colleges and institutions have been named in her honor. She is regarded as a national hero in India.

Many Indians including several political leaders paid homage to Kalpana Chawla on twitter.