How Did Kalpana Chawla Die | Actual Reason of Astronaut Kalpana Chawla Space Shuttle Disaster

Summary

Kalpana Chawla, born in India in 1962, became the first Indian-origin woman astronaut. She completed her Bachelor's in Aeronautical Engineering and later earned a PhD from the University of Colorado. Chawla joined NASA in 1988 and participated in two space missions. Her second mission, STS-107, ended tragically when the Columbia Space Shuttle disintegrated upon re-entry due to damage caused by a piece of insulation foam. Despite NASA's awareness of potential issues, the crew was not informed. Chawla's legacy is honored with satellites, scholarships, and a supercomputer named after her.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space.
• 📚 She was born in Karnal, Haryana, and was the youngest among her siblings.
• 🎓 Kalpana completed her Bachelor's in Aeronautical Engineering and later a PhD in Aerospace Engineering.
• 💍 She married Jinn-Pierre Harrison during her Master's degree in the United States.
• 🌟 In 1994, she became a part of NASA's 15th group of space travelers.
• 🛰️ Her first space mission, STS-87, was successful and lasted 15 days and 16 hours.
• 🔥 Her second mission, STS-107, ended tragically when the Columbia Space Shuttle disintegrated upon re-entry.
• 🔍 The disaster was caused by a piece of insulation foam that struck the shuttle's wing during launch, compromising its integrity.
• 🔮 Despite knowing the foam strike, NASA did not inform the crew, fearing panic or inability to affect the outcome.
• 🏆 Kalpana Chawla's legacy is honored with several scholarships, a supercomputer, and even a mountain on Mars named after her.

Q & A

Kalpana Chawla是哪一年出生的？

Kalpana Chawla出生于1962年3月17日。

Kalpana Chawla的第一次太空任务是什么时候？

Kalpana Chawla的第一次太空任务是在1997年11月19日，作为STS-87任务的一部分。

Columbia太空梭的灾难性事故是如何发生的？

Columbia太空梭在2003年2月1日返回地球大气层时发生了解体。一块隔热泡沫从外部燃料箱脱落并撞击了航天飞机左翼的强化碳纤维面板，导致了一个洞口，当Columbia重新进入大气层时，这个洞口让超热气体进入，导致机翼和整个航天飞机解体。

NASA是否预料到了Columbia太空梭的事故？

NASA在发射后确实注意到了泡沫脱落的问题，但是当时他们认为这块泡沫没有足够的动量来造成重大损害。然而，事后的测试表明，泡沫是有能力在航天飞机的机翼上打出一个大洞的。

Kalpana Chawla在NASA的职业生涯中有哪些成就？

Kalpana Chawla在NASA工作期间，曾是航天飞机机器人臂操作员，并在她的首次太空任务中，成功地部署了Spartan卫星。此外，她还参与了多项关于飞行器空气动力学的研究。

Kalpana Chawla的最后一次太空任务是什么？

Kalpana Chawla的最后一次太空任务是STS-107，这是一个为期16天的科学和研究任务，任务中她和其他六名机组成员共进行了大约80个实验。

Columbia太空梭事故后，NASA采取了哪些措施来防止类似事故的发生？

Columbia事故后，NASA成立了调查委员会，提出了29项安全建议，包括不允许在发射过程中有泡沫从外部燃料箱脱落。NASA还重新设计了外部燃料箱的热保护系统，安装了更多的摄像头和传感器以检查航天飞机的热保护系统，并增加了实时事故响应系统以警告飞机和清理可能受到威胁的空域。

Kalpana Chawla在太空任务中扮演了什么角色？

Kalpana Chawla在她的太空任务中担任任务专家和机器人臂的主要操作员，她负责操作航天飞机的机械臂来部署和回收卫星，并参与了多项科学实验。

Columbia太空梭事故对NASA有什么影响？

Columbia太空梭事故导致NASA暂停了所有航天飞机的飞行，并进行了为期两年多的调查和改进。事故也导致了航天飞机计划的最终结束，并促使NASA发展新的载人航天器。

Kalpana Chawla的教育背景是什么？

Kalpana Chawla在印度的Punjab Engineering College获得了航空工程学士学位，在美国德克萨斯大学获得了航空航天工程的硕士和博士学位。