On February 1, 2003, the Columbian space shuttle STS - 107 exploded as it entered the earth’s atmosphere, perishing the entire crew of six. Among them was the young Indian-born American astronaut, Kalpana Chawla. A girl who had always dreamt of the moon and the stars had herself become a star. Not only did she achieve her dreams but she also led her life with the highest sense of values and purpose in every respect. Her life history is the greatest inspiration for the youths of today.
Humble beginnings
Kalpana Chawla was born in India’s Karnal district of Haryana. Her parents had seen great hardships and were in dire straits during partition but had struggled to pull themselves up. However, they were able to provide good education to Kalpana and her two siblings.
In everything that Kalpana did, she broke stereotypes. She was the only girl at that time to join the aeronautical engineering stream at the Punjab Engineering....
