Have you dreamt of traveling to space? Several brave men and women have done so, and one of those people was Kalpana Chawla. As a child, Chawla was fascinated with aviation, leading her to major in aeronautical engineering in college. She continued her study in this field by obtaining a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado.
Chawla was a researcher with NASA for several years, working on computational fluid dynamics. She later applied for the Astronaut Corps program and was selected for her first flight when she was 34 years old. She was the first Indian woman to go into space, setting an example for the world. Chawla was a part of the six-member crew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Chawla was a researcher with NASA for several years, working on computational fluid dynamics. She later applied for the Astronaut Corps program and was selected for her first flight when she was 34 years old. She was the first Indian woman to go into space, setting an example for the world. Chawla was a part of the six-member crew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Sadly, Chawla’s second flight had a tragic ending. Due to a malfunction with the outer lining of the shuttle, her and the rest of her crew died while reentering Earth’s atmosphere. Her bravery and commitment to space travel paved the way for more endeavors, and she became a national hero. I chose Kalpana Chawla as one of the influential women for this site because she was an incredible explorer in her field. She serves as an example to girls interested in aviation to pursue their dreams and shoot for the stars.