The American aerospace company Northrop Grumman has named its next space station resupply ship NG-14 Cygnus spacecraft ‘S.S. Kalpana Chawla’ after Kalpana Chawla, the former astronaut of Indian descent. Chawla made history at NASA as the first female astronaut of Indian descent.
“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 honor of her prominent place in history as the first woman of Indian descent to go to space,” Northrop Grumman said in a statement. Northrop Grumman is a private firm dealing in space, aeronautics and defence.
The S.S. Kalpana Chawla will be launched into orbit using an Antares 230+ rocket from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad OA on Wallops Island, Virginia. Northrop Grumman will once again load critical cargo into Cygnus, 24 hours before the scheduled launch.
The Cygnus spacecraft will deliver approximately 3,629 kg (8,000lb.) of cargo to the space station. It will be launched into orbit from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Wallops Island, Virginia on September 29.
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What You Should Know
- The American aerospace company names its aircraft after Kalpana Chawla.
- Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin to fly in space.
- Kalpana and her six STS-107 crewmates died on February 1, 2003, over Texas as Columbia was re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
Kalpana Chawla And Her Background
Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin to fly in space. Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana, India on March 17, 1962. She got a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College in India in 1982. Kalpana then moved to the United States for graduate studies. In 1984, Chawla received a Master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas, and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado in 1988. She held commercial pilot’s licenses for single- and multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes, and gliders, and was also a certified flight instructor. She and her six STS-107 crewmates died on February 1, 2003, over Texas as Columbia was re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA tweeted about the Cygnus spacecraft being named after Kalpana, "Today, @NorthropGrumma named the next #Cygnus spacecraft launching to @SpaceStation in honor of astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first woman of Indian descent to go to space."
The aerospace and defense technology company tweeted honoring the astronaut,“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."
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Sanskriti is an intern with SheThePeople.TV
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