The Tragic End to Kalpana Chawla’s Life
Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian woman to go to space, died in a tragic accident on February 1, 2003. She was one of the seven crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, which disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Chawla had been a member of the STS-107 crew, a mission that was dedicated to scientific research in the fields of earth science, astronomy, and physics. The crew had spent 16 days in space, conducting experiments and gathering data.
On the morning of February 1, the shuttle began its descent towards Earth. As it entered the atmosphere, a piece of foam insulation from the shuttle’s external fuel tank broke off and struck the left wing’s leading edge. The impact caused damage to the wing’s thermal protection system, which protects the shuttle from the extreme heat of re-entry.
Despite the damage, the shuttle continued its descent towards Earth. However, as it approached the runway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, it began to break apart. The shuttle disintegrated over Texas, killing all seven crew members.
