This column aims to inspire the readers by featuring brief biographies and psychological analysis of various personalities, who have possessed extraordinary qualities, shown endurance, resilience and unique characteristics, which have made them who they are/were.
Kalpana Chawla 'Determination Personified'
Imagination is a rough sketch of reality. Many people sketch a lot of dreams but very few happen to fulfill them with determination and commitment. What magic is involved in converting one's dreams into reality? Perhaps we can understand the magic by gaining insights to the life of one such magician called Kalpana Chawla. 'Imagination' is what her name meant and reality has registered her efforts in becoming what she always wanted to be. Aerospace scientist- Kalpana Chawla, is recognized by the entire world today. But how did she shape her dreams and converted them into reality?
Kalpana Chawla was born on 1st July 1961, in Karnal, Haryana, India. Her humble childhood and initial days reflected a liberal nurturence which promoted individualistic but compassionate thinking. While enrolling her to school Kalpana's parents gave her the freedom of choosing her own name! Till pre-school days she was called 'Montu'. She was a vegetarian and had high regards for her teachers. Her childhood hobbies included reading and indulging in adventurous activities. She was a dedicated student in her school days. She studied Aeronautical Engineering at Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh, India. In 1982, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and left for the United States to earn a Masters degree in Aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
She further earned a second Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1986 and Ph.D. in Aerospace engineering in 1988 from University of Colorado at Boulder. Such an illustrative academic profile, earned her a post of research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center.
As a child, her passion for the skies was triggered by the life of a pioneering Indian pilot and industrialist- J.R.D Tata. And since then, she wanted to pursue 'something' that would take her close to the skies and beyond.
Kalpana held a certificated Flight Instructor rating for airplanes, gliders and Commercial Pilot licenses for single and multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes and gliders. She held an FCC issued Technician Class Amateur Radio license with the call sign KD5ESI.
In March 1995, Kalpana joined the NASA astronaut corps. She was selected and trained on various space missions before the Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-87. Kalpana Chawla (representing United States) was the first Indian-born woman and the second person of Indian origin to fly in space, following cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma (representing India) who flew in 1984 in a Soviet spacecraft-Soyuz-T11.
On January 16, 2003 Kalpana Chawla returned to space aboard Columbia on the ill-fated STS-107 mission.
Her responsibilities on the mission included the SPACEHAB/FREESTAR microgravity experiments, for which the crew conducted nearly 80 experiments studying earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. On her mission, she carried a white silk banner as part of a worldwide campaign to honor teachers. Every teacher, who must have taught her at some point of time, surely would have been glad to have her as a student. She also carried nearly two dozen CDs, including ones by Abida Parveen, Yehudi Menuhin, Pandit Ravi Shankar, and Deep Purple. Music knows no religion and boundaries. Isn't it a wonderful fact that these musicians kept her entertained in space too?
It was unfortunate that on its re-entry in the earth atmosphere, the space shuttle Columbia perished along with its seven crew members, including Kalpana Chawla. It takes so many years for building human potentials. And potentials like that of Kalpana Chawla are very rare. The death of all the astronauts, aboard the shuttle, is a irreversible loss for humanity and a tragic event in world scientific history.
Kalpana has been posthumously awarded with some distinguish awards.
They are as follows:
Congressional Space Medal of Honor
NASA Space Flight Medal
NASA Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Besides this there are a lot of dedications, made globally, to Kalpana Chawla that reminds the world of her dedication, commitment and integrity towards her work.
They are as follows:
a) The Girls hostel at Punjab Engineering College, previously known as Himgiri Hostel has been renamed as "Kalpana Chawla Girls Hostel".
b) In 2003, the METSAT series of Indian satellites have been officially renamed as 'KALPANA'.
c) The asteroid 51826 is renamed as 'Asteriod 51826-Kalpana Chawla'
d) 74th street, Jackson Heights, NYC has been renamed as 74th Street Kalpana Chawla Way.
e) NASA Mars Exploration Rover mission has named seven peaks in a chain of hills, named the Columbia Hills, after each of the seven astronauts lost in the Columbia shuttle disaster, including Chawla hill after Kalpana Chawla.
This and many more honors have been bestowed upon Kalpana Chawla. She is an apt role model for all global citizens. In the yester years, due to backwardness and illiteracy, the Western community looked down upon the potentials of an Indian woman. But Kalpana Chawla, with her academic and professional excellence, has certainly refreshed the perception of the world community in evaluating people originating from India.
Her life highlights the fact that to enrich oneself with so much of knowledge and application one needs tremendous dedication, determination, commitment and interest.
Kalpana always quoted the words of a famous philosopher named Lucius Annaeus Seneca by saying "I was not born for one corner; the whole world is my native land." In form of Kalpana, the Indian values of ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakam’ (Sanskrit phrase which means ‘the whole world is one single family’) touched space too!
Original Article written by -Shraddha Sankulkar (Psychologist/Founder-Director Mind Matterz (A Psychological Guidance Unit)
*Special thanks to Miss. Awatif. K. Shaikh for providing her help in completing this article
Kalpana Chawla was born on 1st July 1961, in Karnal, Haryana, India. Her humble childhood and initial days reflected a liberal nurturence which promoted individualistic but compassionate thinking. While enrolling her to school Kalpana's parents gave her the freedom of choosing her own name! Till pre-school days she was called 'Montu'. She was a vegetarian and had high regards for her teachers. Her childhood hobbies included reading and indulging in adventurous activities. She was a dedicated student in her school days. She studied Aeronautical Engineering at Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh, India. In 1982, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and left for the United States to earn a Masters degree in Aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
She further earned a second Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1986 and Ph.D. in Aerospace engineering in 1988 from University of Colorado at Boulder. Such an illustrative academic profile, earned her a post of research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center.
As a child, her passion for the skies was triggered by the life of a pioneering Indian pilot and industrialist- J.R.D Tata. And since then, she wanted to pursue 'something' that would take her close to the skies and beyond.
Kalpana held a certificated Flight Instructor rating for airplanes, gliders and Commercial Pilot licenses for single and multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes and gliders. She held an FCC issued Technician Class Amateur Radio license with the call sign KD5ESI.
In March 1995, Kalpana joined the NASA astronaut corps. She was selected and trained on various space missions before the Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-87. Kalpana Chawla (representing United States) was the first Indian-born woman and the second person of Indian origin to fly in space, following cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma (representing India) who flew in 1984 in a Soviet spacecraft-Soyuz-T11.
On January 16, 2003 Kalpana Chawla returned to space aboard Columbia on the ill-fated STS-107 mission.
Her responsibilities on the mission included the SPACEHAB/FREESTAR microgravity experiments, for which the crew conducted nearly 80 experiments studying earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. On her mission, she carried a white silk banner as part of a worldwide campaign to honor teachers. Every teacher, who must have taught her at some point of time, surely would have been glad to have her as a student. She also carried nearly two dozen CDs, including ones by Abida Parveen, Yehudi Menuhin, Pandit Ravi Shankar, and Deep Purple. Music knows no religion and boundaries. Isn't it a wonderful fact that these musicians kept her entertained in space too?
It was unfortunate that on its re-entry in the earth atmosphere, the space shuttle Columbia perished along with its seven crew members, including Kalpana Chawla. It takes so many years for building human potentials. And potentials like that of Kalpana Chawla are very rare. The death of all the astronauts, aboard the shuttle, is a irreversible loss for humanity and a tragic event in world scientific history.
Kalpana has been posthumously awarded with some distinguish awards.
They are as follows:
Congressional Space Medal of Honor
NASA Space Flight Medal
NASA Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Besides this there are a lot of dedications, made globally, to Kalpana Chawla that reminds the world of her dedication, commitment and integrity towards her work.
They are as follows:
a) The Girls hostel at Punjab Engineering College, previously known as Himgiri Hostel has been renamed as "Kalpana Chawla Girls Hostel".
b) In 2003, the METSAT series of Indian satellites have been officially renamed as 'KALPANA'.
c) The asteroid 51826 is renamed as 'Asteriod 51826-Kalpana Chawla'
d) 74th street, Jackson Heights, NYC has been renamed as 74th Street Kalpana Chawla Way.
e) NASA Mars Exploration Rover mission has named seven peaks in a chain of hills, named the Columbia Hills, after each of the seven astronauts lost in the Columbia shuttle disaster, including Chawla hill after Kalpana Chawla.
This and many more honors have been bestowed upon Kalpana Chawla. She is an apt role model for all global citizens. In the yester years, due to backwardness and illiteracy, the Western community looked down upon the potentials of an Indian woman. But Kalpana Chawla, with her academic and professional excellence, has certainly refreshed the perception of the world community in evaluating people originating from India.
Her life highlights the fact that to enrich oneself with so much of knowledge and application one needs tremendous dedication, determination, commitment and interest.
Kalpana always quoted the words of a famous philosopher named Lucius Annaeus Seneca by saying "I was not born for one corner; the whole world is my native land." In form of Kalpana, the Indian values of ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakam’ (Sanskrit phrase which means ‘the whole world is one single family’) touched space too!
Original Article written by -Shraddha Sankulkar (Psychologist/Founder-Director Mind Matterz (A Psychological Guidance Unit)
*Special thanks to Miss. Awatif. K. Shaikh for providing her help in completing this article
