Astronaut Kalpana Chawla - ගගණගාමී කල්පනා චවුලා

That day of February 1 is still recorded in history as the 'end of the era' when Kalpana Chawla died. Her second space trip on 1 February in 2003 proved to be his last trip. On the same day, the Columbia spacecraft, which Kalpana, along with 6 of her companions, shattered as it entered Earth's orbit. On sight, the remains of the spacecraft started raining on the city of Texas.

March 17 is an important day for India. On this day, a great daughter of India, Kalpana Chawla, was born. She brought glory to the name of not only her family and state but also the entire country at the world level. Kalpana Chawla, who became the astronaut and measured the heights of space, made a world-class identity with her achievements. February 1 was an unfortunate day when we lost this great daughter of India. Her spaceship was an accident before landing. There was a strange coincidence of 16 in her journey to space. Let us know some special things about her today and the strange coincidence of 16.

Although she was born on March 17, 1962, the official date of birth was recorded on July 1, 1961 to facilitate her admission. Born on 17 March 1962 at the home of Banarasi Lal Chawla and mother Sanjyoti in Karnal, Kalpana was the youngest of her four siblings. Everyone in the house affectionately called her Montu.

Initial studies took place in Tagore Bal Niketan of Karnal. When she reached the eighth grade, she expressed her desire to become an engineer with her father. The father wanted to make her a doctor or teacher. The relatives say that since childhood, Kalpana was interested in space and astronomical change. She often asked her father how these astronauts fly in the sky. Can I fly too? Father Banarsi Lal used to laugh and defer to her.

Initial studies took place in Tagore Bal Niketan of Karnal. When she reached the eighth grade, she expressed her desire to become an engineer with her father. The father wanted to make her a doctor or teacher. The relatives say that since childhood, Kalpana was interested in space and astronomical change. She often asked her father how these astronauts fly in the sky. Can I fly too? Father Banarsi Lal used to laugh and defer to her.

She learned karate during her college days. She also played badminton and competed in races. She flew to the US in 1982 to fly her dream and earned a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas. She had a commercial pilot license for the seaplane, multi engine air plane and glider. She was also a certified flight instructor for gliders and airplanes.

Kalpana joined NASA as an astronaut in 1995 and was selected for her first flight in 1998. The special thing was that she was the first Indian woman to fly in space. Earlier in 1984, Rakesh Sharma flew in a Soviet spacecraft. Kalpana traveled 1.04 million miles in her first mission, spending 252 orbits of Earth and 360 hours in space.

Udanpari made her first space trip at the age of 41 which proved to be her last. Her words became true in which she said that I am made for space only. Every moment is spent for space and I will die for it. After the mission was completed, the Columbia spacecraft was returning to Earth with Kalpana and her 6 companions, and its insulating layers burst and the vehicle was damaged. On seeing this, the happy atmosphere turned into mourning.

According to some media reports, it was known as soon as the Columbia spacecraft took flight that it would not land on safe ground, that is, 6 other astronauts including Kalpana could become the Grass of Era. Despite this, she was not given any information about this. This was also disclosed by the program manager of Mission Columbia.

She flew in the space shuttle STS-107 Colombia on January 16 along with 6 other members. She was to go on a 16-day mission and was subjected to a shuttle accident 16 minutes before her scheduled landing. It was a strange coincidence of 16.