By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Jindal Steel and Power Limited Chairman and Former 2 times Lok Sabha MP, Naveen Jindal on Wednesday Lauded Northrop Grumman for honouring Dr Kalpala Chawla. Northrop Grumman has named its next space station resupply ship after Dr. Kalpana Chawla, an astronaut of Indian descent. The “S.S. Kalpana Chawla,” Northrop Grumman’s next Cygnus spacecraft to launch to the International Space Station, is christened in honour of the Columbia astronaut.
“Great News! This is heart warming tribute to India’s immortal daughter#KalpanaChawla.Thank you@northropgrumman for honouring her.Kalpalna Chawla to be an inspiration to millions across the World,” the JSPL Chairman tweeted @MPNaveenJindal. Chawla, hails from JSPL Chairman Naveen Jindal’s home State of Haryana. She graduated from Tagore School, Karnal, India, in 1976 and received a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from India’s Punjab Engineering College in 1982. Chawla and her six STS-107 crewmates perished Feb. 1, 2003, over Texas as Columbia was re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
“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. Chawla, hails from Naveen Jindal’s home State of Haryana
“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 aerospace and defense technology company tweeted.
The Cygnus spacecraft will deliver approximately 3,629 kg (8,000lb.) of cargo to the space station. The S.S. Kalpana Chawla will be launched into orbit from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Wallops Island, Virginia.Northrop Grumman will load critical cargo into S.S. Kalpana Chawla (Cygnus spacecraft), 24 hours before the scheduled launch.
