Kalpana Chawla, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Kalpana Chawla

American astronaut

Date of Birth: 17-Mar-1962

Place of Birth: Karnal, Haryana, India

Date of Death: 01-Feb-2003

Profession: astronaut, engineer, aerospace engineer

Nationality: United States, India

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Kalpana Chawla (March 17, 1962 – February 1, 2003) was an American astronaut, engineer, and the first woman of Indian descent to go to space.
She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator.
In 2003, Chawla was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, universities and institutions have been named in her honor.
The late astronaut is recognized as a national hero in India.
She was in space for 336 hours during research mission.