Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut and aerospace engineer, born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, India. She earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College and later moved to the United States for further studies. Chawla joined NASA in 1995 and became the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She flew on two space shuttle missions, including STS-107, which tragically ended in disaster when the shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry on February 1, 2003. Chawla's contributions to space exploration and her inspiring journey continue to motivate many around the world.