Kalpana Chawla, born March 17, 1962, was an Indian American astronaut who died in the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

Kalpana Chawla (1962–2003), the first Indian woman in space, tragically perished in the Columbia disaster. Her passion for ...

The STS-107 mission ended in disaster when Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members, including Chawla. NASA’s investigation ...