Dr Kalpana Chawla is India’s pride. She created history by becoming the first woman astronaut of Indian descent to ever go to space. Sadly, her inspiring story ended into a tragedy as her spacecraft Columbia crashed on February 1, 2003, while re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
Today, she remains the country’s most inspiring heroes, and now her legacy will live on forever. Northrop Grumman, NASA’s resupply contractor, has named its next space station resupply ship ‘S.S. Kalpana Chawla’. “Northrop Grumman is proud to name the NG-14 Cygnus spacecraft after former astronaut Kalpana Chawla. It is the company’s tradition to name each Cygnus after an individual who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight. Chawla was selected in honour of her prominent place in history as the first woman of Indian descent to go to space,” Northrop Grumman said in a statement.
Also Read: #PrideOfIndia: Women Who Changed The Game For Our Country
The aerospace and defense technology company further tweeted, “Today we honor Kalpana Chawla, who made history at NASA as the first female astronaut of Indian descent. Her contributions to human spaceflight have had a lasting impact. Meet our next Cygnus vehicle, the S.S. Kalpana Chawla.”
The Cygnus S.S. Kalpana Chawla will be launched into orbit from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Wallops Island on September 29. Northrop Grumman will load critical cargo into S.S. Kalpana Chawla, 24 hours before the scheduled launch. The spacecraft will deliver approximately 3,629 kg (8,000lb.) of cargo to the space station.
Also Read: 11 Indian Women We Can Learn SO Much From!
Rare Pictures Of Kalpana Chawla & Quotes To Inspire You
Can you imagine being such a legendary astronaut that NASA decides to name a spacecraft after you, 17 years after your death? We can’t either. If you want to walk in Dr Kalpana’s footsteps and are looking for inspiration, let her magical words inspire you. We’ve also added some rare photos of the astronaut for some extra motivation!
* “Do something because you really want to do it. If you’re doing it just for the goal and don’t enjoy the path, then I think you’re cheating yourself.”
* “The journey matters as much as the goal.”
* “Material interests are not the only guiding light.”
* “If you want to do something, what does it matter where you are ranked?”
* “When you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar system.”
* “You are just your intelligence.”
* “There are so many people who are arguing or fighting over issues which don’t have much relevance. We must all realise it is not worth it.”
* “You must enjoy the journey because whether or not you get there, you must have fun on the way.”
* “The quickest way may not necessarily be the best.”
* “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.”
Feeling inspired to chase your crazy dreams yet? We know we are!
Featured Image: Twitter