17 moments

1. Birth in Karnal

   1962-03-17 · Karnal, Haryana, India

   Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, then in Punjab and now in Haryana, India.

2. Tagore School graduation

   1976-01-01 · Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School, Karnal, Haryana, India

   She completed secondary schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School in her home city. Coordinates identify the school area; the source supplies the year but not a graduation date.

3. Pre-university study in Karnal

   1977-01-01 · Kumari Vidyavati Anand DAV College for Women, Karnal, Haryana, India

   Chawla spent a year in pre-university education at Kumari Vidyavati Anand DAV College for Women. Coordinates identify the college area.

4. Aeronautical engineering at Punjab Engineering College

   1982-01-01 · Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India

   After moving to Chandigarh for aeronautical engineering, Chawla completed her Bachelor of Engineering at Punjab Engineering College.

5. Emigration for graduate study

   1982-01-01 · United States

   After graduating in Chandigarh, Chawla traveled to the United States to continue aerospace education. The source supports arrival in the United States but does not specify an arrival city; coordinates are a representative national point.

6. Master's degree at UTA

   1984-01-01 · University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States

   Chawla completed a Master of Science at the University of Texas at Arlington before moving on to doctoral study. The source identifies the university in the preceding sentence; coordinates identify its main campus.

7. Doctoral study at CU Boulder

   1988-01-01 · University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States

   Chawla completed her PhD at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she also pursued flight training. Coordinates identify the Boulder campus.

8. Researcher at NASA Ames

   1988-01-01 · NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, United States

   Following her doctorate, Chawla began her professional aerospace career in computational fluid dynamics at NASA Ames.

9. Overset Methods appointment

   1993-01-01 · Los Altos, California, United States

   Chawla joined Overset Methods, Inc. as vice president and research scientist, working on aerodynamic-optimization methods. Coordinates are a representative point for Los Altos; the cited biography does not provide a street address.

10. Astronaut candidate reporting to Johnson Space Center

    1995-03-01 · Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, United States

    

    After NASA selected her in December 1994, Chawla reported to Johnson Space Center as an astronaut candidate in Group 15.

11. Astronaut-candidate work at Ames

    1995-10-01 · NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, United States

    A NASA photograph documents Chawla at Ames while she was an astronaut candidate.

12. STS-87 prelaunch arrival

    1997-11-16 · Shuttle Landing Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, United States

    

    Chawla arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility with the STS-87 crew for final prelaunch preparations.

13. First spaceflight: STS-87

    1997-11-19 · Space Shuttle Columbia, low Earth orbit

    

    Chawla began her first spaceflight as a mission specialist and robotic-arm operator aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. STS-87 continuously orbited Earth; coordinates are a representative Equator/Prime Meridian point rather than a fixed spacecraft position.

14. Completion of STS-87

    1997-12-05 · Shuttle Landing Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, United States

    

    Chawla completed STS-87 after 252 Earth orbits and more than 376 hours in space. NASA mission records identify Kennedy Space Center as the landing site; the quoted biography establishes Chawla's completion of the mission.

15. Second spaceflight: STS-107

    2003-01-16 · Space Shuttle Columbia, low Earth orbit

    

    Chawla served as a mission specialist on Columbia's STS-107 multidisciplinary research mission. NASA identifies Chawla in the mission crew list on the same page. The vehicle continuously orbited Earth; coordinates are a representative Equator/Prime Meridian point rather than a fixed spacecraft position.

16. STS-107 launch

    2003-01-16 · Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, United States

    

    Chawla entered Columbia at Launch Complex 39A before the launch of her second and final spaceflight. NASA's chronology dates this entry to January 16, 2003; coordinates identify Launch Complex 39A.

17. Death during Columbia re-entry

    2003-02-01 · East Texas, United States

    

    Chawla died with Columbia's crew when the orbiter was lost during re-entry over East Texas. Coordinates are a representative point for the East Texas re-entry and breakup area; the debris footprint extended beyond this point.