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Short Summary of the Chapter : An Indian–American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana. She studied at Tagore School. After school, she joined an engineering college. Later, she went to the United States for higher studies. She did her Master’s and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering. Kalpana became a naturalised U.S. citizen. She married Jean-Pierre Harrison, a flight instructor.
Kalpana worked hard and became an astronaut at NASA. She flew into space for the first time from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Her first flight lasted 15 days, 16 hours, and 34 minutes. She travelled 10.45 million kilometres and went around the Earth 252 times. Her crew did 80 experiments on that trip.
In 2003, Kalpana flew again on the space shuttle Columbia. It lifted off on 16 January 2003 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Sadly, on 1 February 2003, Columbia broke apart while returning to Earth. Kalpana and all six other astronauts died.
Kalpana never thought of herself as different. She believed in dreams and hard work. She told students that the path from dreams to success does exist. Her story inspires millions to follow their dreams with courage.
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Detailed Summary of the Chapter :An Indian–American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla
1. Kalpana Chawla’s Early Life :Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana. She studied at Tagore School in her town. As a child, she never thought that she would travel to space one day. She was happy that her parents allowed her to study engineering, which was not common for girls at that time.
2. Higher Studies in America :After finishing her Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, Kalpana wanted to study more. She faced strong opposition from her father but still went to the United States. There, she did her Master’s degree and later completed her Ph.D. in aerospace engineering.
3. Becoming a Naturalised U.S. Citizen :Kalpana Chawla became a naturalised U.S. citizen. This means she officially became a citizen of the United States. She married Jean-Pierre Harrison, who was a flight instructor. Kalpana also learned to fly many types of planes like single-engine and multi-engine land planes, seaplanes, and gliders. She was also a certified flight instructor.
4. Journey to Become an Astronaut :After becoming a pilot, Kalpana decided to take a bigger step. She applied for NASA’s space shuttle program. First, she worked as a research scientist at NASA. Then, in 1994, she was selected for astronaut training. She never thought of herself as a woman from a small town but simply followed her dreams with courage.
5. Her First Space Mission :Kalpana’s first space mission was on the space shuttle Columbia. It lasted for 15 days, 16 hours, and 34 minutes. During this time, she travelled 10.45 million kilometres and went around the Earth 252 times! Her crew included a Japanese and a Ukrainian astronaut. They did 80 experiments like pollinating plants and testing strong metals and fast computer chips. The mission cost about 56 million dollars.
6. The Columbia Tragedy :On 16 January 2003, Kalpana and her team lifted off again from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. But sadly, on 1 February 2003, while returning to Earth, the Columbia shuttle broke apart over Texas. It was flying at over 200,000 feet and at a speed of 20,000 km per hour. All seven astronauts, including Kalpana, lost their lives. This shocking news made the people of Karnal and the whole world very sad.
7. Kalpana’s Message and Inspiration :Kalpana Chawla inspired millions of young Indians. She proved that even a girl from a small town could touch the skies. From the space shuttle, she sent a message to her college students in Chandigarh. She said, “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get onto it.” Her life teaches us to dream big and work hard without fear.
Pointwise Summary of the Chapter :An Indian–American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla
1. Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana and studied at Tagore School.
2. She went to the United States for higher studies and completed her Master’s and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering.
3. She became a naturalised U.S. citizen and married flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison.
4. Kalpana was a skilled pilot who could fly many types of planes and was a certified flight instructor.
5. She joined NASA as a research scientist and was selected for astronaut training in 1994.
6. Her first space mission on Columbia lasted 15 days, 16 hours, and 34 minutes, covering 10.45 million kilometres.
7. The crew performed 80 experiments related to plants, metals, and computer chips during the mission.
8. On 16 January 2003, Columbia lifted off again, but on 1 February 2003, it broke apart while landing.
9. Kalpana and six other astronauts died in the tragic accident, making the world and her hometown very sad.
10. Kalpana inspired millions by saying, “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it.”