Biography of Kalpana Chawla | Early Life - Education and Early Career - NASA Career - Second Space Mission and Tragic Incident - Legacy of Kalpana Chawla
Biography of Kalpana Chawla: Early Life: Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana, India. She was fascinated by airplanes and flying from a young age, which inspired her to pursue a career in aeronautical engineering. Biography of Kalpana Chawla Education and Early Career: Chawla earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh, India, in 1982. She then moved to the United States to further her studies. She obtained a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984 and a Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1988. Kalpana Chawla's NASA Career: Kalpana Chawla joined NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in 1988. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen and was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1994. Chawla's first space mission was aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mis...