NCERT Textbook: An Indian American Women in Space: Kalpana Chawla | English Class 6 (Honeysuckle) PDF Download

 Page 1


AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 43
Before you read
In 1997, an Indian – American, Kalpana Chawla,
was part of the international crew aboard the
U.S. Space Shuttle, Columbia, becoming the first
woman born in India to go into space. Sadly, the
second mission in Columbia ended in tragedy.
4
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
1. A space shuttle is a spacecraft that is made
for repeated space travel (unlike a rocket), for
example, between earth and a space station.
2. Use a dictionary to do the tasks below.
(i) Find out the meanings of the following words
and phrases (look up the words underlined in
the phrases).
(a) naturalised U.S. citizen 
———————————
(b) space 
——————————————————————
(c) frontiers of space 
———————————————
(d) aboard 
——————————————————————
(e) lift off (How is it different from ‘take off’?)
——————————————————————————
 (f) crew 
———————————————————————
(ii) Notice the spellings of these words in this
lesson: airplane, program. This is how these
words are spelt in American English. How are
they spelt in British English?
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 2


AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 43
Before you read
In 1997, an Indian – American, Kalpana Chawla,
was part of the international crew aboard the
U.S. Space Shuttle, Columbia, becoming the first
woman born in India to go into space. Sadly, the
second mission in Columbia ended in tragedy.
4
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
1. A space shuttle is a spacecraft that is made
for repeated space travel (unlike a rocket), for
example, between earth and a space station.
2. Use a dictionary to do the tasks below.
(i) Find out the meanings of the following words
and phrases (look up the words underlined in
the phrases).
(a) naturalised U.S. citizen 
———————————
(b) space 
——————————————————————
(c) frontiers of space 
———————————————
(d) aboard 
——————————————————————
(e) lift off (How is it different from ‘take off’?)
——————————————————————————
 (f) crew 
———————————————————————
(ii) Notice the spellings of these words in this
lesson: airplane, program. This is how these
words are spelt in American English. How are
they spelt in British English?
Rationalised 2023-24
44 HONEYSUCKLE
A News Report
Tragedy in Space
U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia
breaks into flames
In an unprecedented
space tragedy, U.S. Space
Shuttle Columbia, carrying
India-born American
astronaut Kalpana
Chawla and six others,
broke apart in flames as
it streaked over Texas
towards  its landing strip
on Saturday, 1 February
2003, killing all seven
on board.
The shuttle lost contact
with NASA at about 9 a.m.
(19.30 hrs 1ST) as it came
in for landing. It was flying
at an altitude of over
200,000 feet and travelling
at over 20,000 km. per hour
when ground control lost
contact with the shuttle.
Columbia had lifted off
on 16 January 2003, from
the Kennedy Space Center,
Florida. It had stayed
in orbit for 16 days and
the seven-member crew
conducted 80 experiments
before it began its downward
journey, which ended in
tragedy. This was Columbia’s
28th space flight and the
shuttle was said to be good
for 100 flights.
1. KALPANA Chawla said that she never
dreamed, as a child in Karnal, that she
would cross the frontiers of space. It was
enough that her parents allowed her to
attend engineering college after she
graduated from Tagore School.
2. After a Bachelor of Science degree in
aeronautical engineering, against great
opposition from her father, she went for
a master’s degree to the United States
of America. She later earned her Ph.D.
in aerospace engineering. Kalpana
Chawla was the first Indian–American
woman astronaut to blast off from the
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 3


AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 43
Before you read
In 1997, an Indian – American, Kalpana Chawla,
was part of the international crew aboard the
U.S. Space Shuttle, Columbia, becoming the first
woman born in India to go into space. Sadly, the
second mission in Columbia ended in tragedy.
4
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
1. A space shuttle is a spacecraft that is made
for repeated space travel (unlike a rocket), for
example, between earth and a space station.
2. Use a dictionary to do the tasks below.
(i) Find out the meanings of the following words
and phrases (look up the words underlined in
the phrases).
(a) naturalised U.S. citizen 
———————————
(b) space 
——————————————————————
(c) frontiers of space 
———————————————
(d) aboard 
——————————————————————
(e) lift off (How is it different from ‘take off’?)
——————————————————————————
 (f) crew 
———————————————————————
(ii) Notice the spellings of these words in this
lesson: airplane, program. This is how these
words are spelt in American English. How are
they spelt in British English?
Rationalised 2023-24
44 HONEYSUCKLE
A News Report
Tragedy in Space
U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia
breaks into flames
In an unprecedented
space tragedy, U.S. Space
Shuttle Columbia, carrying
India-born American
astronaut Kalpana
Chawla and six others,
broke apart in flames as
it streaked over Texas
towards  its landing strip
on Saturday, 1 February
2003, killing all seven
on board.
The shuttle lost contact
with NASA at about 9 a.m.
(19.30 hrs 1ST) as it came
in for landing. It was flying
at an altitude of over
200,000 feet and travelling
at over 20,000 km. per hour
when ground control lost
contact with the shuttle.
Columbia had lifted off
on 16 January 2003, from
the Kennedy Space Center,
Florida. It had stayed
in orbit for 16 days and
the seven-member crew
conducted 80 experiments
before it began its downward
journey, which ended in
tragedy. This was Columbia’s
28th space flight and the
shuttle was said to be good
for 100 flights.
1. KALPANA Chawla said that she never
dreamed, as a child in Karnal, that she
would cross the frontiers of space. It was
enough that her parents allowed her to
attend engineering college after she
graduated from Tagore School.
2. After a Bachelor of Science degree in
aeronautical engineering, against great
opposition from her father, she went for
a master’s degree to the United States
of America. She later earned her Ph.D.
in aerospace engineering. Kalpana
Chawla was the first Indian–American
woman astronaut to blast off from the
Rationalised 2023-24
AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 45
launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida,
and participate in a successful mission
in space. Her family from India cheered
along with staff at the Kennedy Space
Center as they watched the Columbia
lift off.
3. Kalpana was born in Karnal, Haryana,
but was a naturalised U.S. citizen,
married to flight instructor Jean-Pierre
Harrison. Besides being an astronaut,
she was licensed to fly single and multi-
engine land airplanes, single-engine
seaplanes and gliders. She was also a
certified flight instructor. After
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 4


AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 43
Before you read
In 1997, an Indian – American, Kalpana Chawla,
was part of the international crew aboard the
U.S. Space Shuttle, Columbia, becoming the first
woman born in India to go into space. Sadly, the
second mission in Columbia ended in tragedy.
4
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
1. A space shuttle is a spacecraft that is made
for repeated space travel (unlike a rocket), for
example, between earth and a space station.
2. Use a dictionary to do the tasks below.
(i) Find out the meanings of the following words
and phrases (look up the words underlined in
the phrases).
(a) naturalised U.S. citizen 
———————————
(b) space 
——————————————————————
(c) frontiers of space 
———————————————
(d) aboard 
——————————————————————
(e) lift off (How is it different from ‘take off’?)
——————————————————————————
 (f) crew 
———————————————————————
(ii) Notice the spellings of these words in this
lesson: airplane, program. This is how these
words are spelt in American English. How are
they spelt in British English?
Rationalised 2023-24
44 HONEYSUCKLE
A News Report
Tragedy in Space
U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia
breaks into flames
In an unprecedented
space tragedy, U.S. Space
Shuttle Columbia, carrying
India-born American
astronaut Kalpana
Chawla and six others,
broke apart in flames as
it streaked over Texas
towards  its landing strip
on Saturday, 1 February
2003, killing all seven
on board.
The shuttle lost contact
with NASA at about 9 a.m.
(19.30 hrs 1ST) as it came
in for landing. It was flying
at an altitude of over
200,000 feet and travelling
at over 20,000 km. per hour
when ground control lost
contact with the shuttle.
Columbia had lifted off
on 16 January 2003, from
the Kennedy Space Center,
Florida. It had stayed
in orbit for 16 days and
the seven-member crew
conducted 80 experiments
before it began its downward
journey, which ended in
tragedy. This was Columbia’s
28th space flight and the
shuttle was said to be good
for 100 flights.
1. KALPANA Chawla said that she never
dreamed, as a child in Karnal, that she
would cross the frontiers of space. It was
enough that her parents allowed her to
attend engineering college after she
graduated from Tagore School.
2. After a Bachelor of Science degree in
aeronautical engineering, against great
opposition from her father, she went for
a master’s degree to the United States
of America. She later earned her Ph.D.
in aerospace engineering. Kalpana
Chawla was the first Indian–American
woman astronaut to blast off from the
Rationalised 2023-24
AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 45
launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida,
and participate in a successful mission
in space. Her family from India cheered
along with staff at the Kennedy Space
Center as they watched the Columbia
lift off.
3. Kalpana was born in Karnal, Haryana,
but was a naturalised U.S. citizen,
married to flight instructor Jean-Pierre
Harrison. Besides being an astronaut,
she was licensed to fly single and multi-
engine land airplanes, single-engine
seaplanes and gliders. She was also a
certified flight instructor. After
Rationalised 2023-24
46 HONEYSUCKLE
qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana began to
consider another challenge: applying to
NASA’s space shuttle program. She was
first hired as a research scientist at
NASA. In 1994 she was selected by
NASA for training as an astronaut.
4. When asked what it was like being a
woman in her field she replied, “I really
never, ever thought, while pursuing my
studies or doing anything else, that I
was a woman, or a person from a small
city, or a different country. I pretty
much had my dreams like anyone else
and I followed them. And people who
were around me, fortunately, always
encouraged me and said, ‘If that’s what
you want to do, carry on’.”
5. Kalpana’s first space mission in the
space shuttle, Columbia, was 15 days,
16 hours and 34 minutes long. During
this time she went around the earth 252
times, travelling 10.45 million
kilometres! The crew included a
Japanese and a Ukranian astronaut.
The crew performed experiments such
as pollinating plants to observe food
growth in space, and tests for making
stronger metals and faster computer
chips — all for a price tag of about
56 million dollars.
6. On the Saturday night when the
news about the Columbia disaster
broke, there was shock and disbelief.
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 5


AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 43
Before you read
In 1997, an Indian – American, Kalpana Chawla,
was part of the international crew aboard the
U.S. Space Shuttle, Columbia, becoming the first
woman born in India to go into space. Sadly, the
second mission in Columbia ended in tragedy.
4
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
An Indian – American
Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
1. A space shuttle is a spacecraft that is made
for repeated space travel (unlike a rocket), for
example, between earth and a space station.
2. Use a dictionary to do the tasks below.
(i) Find out the meanings of the following words
and phrases (look up the words underlined in
the phrases).
(a) naturalised U.S. citizen 
———————————
(b) space 
——————————————————————
(c) frontiers of space 
———————————————
(d) aboard 
——————————————————————
(e) lift off (How is it different from ‘take off’?)
——————————————————————————
 (f) crew 
———————————————————————
(ii) Notice the spellings of these words in this
lesson: airplane, program. This is how these
words are spelt in American English. How are
they spelt in British English?
Rationalised 2023-24
44 HONEYSUCKLE
A News Report
Tragedy in Space
U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia
breaks into flames
In an unprecedented
space tragedy, U.S. Space
Shuttle Columbia, carrying
India-born American
astronaut Kalpana
Chawla and six others,
broke apart in flames as
it streaked over Texas
towards  its landing strip
on Saturday, 1 February
2003, killing all seven
on board.
The shuttle lost contact
with NASA at about 9 a.m.
(19.30 hrs 1ST) as it came
in for landing. It was flying
at an altitude of over
200,000 feet and travelling
at over 20,000 km. per hour
when ground control lost
contact with the shuttle.
Columbia had lifted off
on 16 January 2003, from
the Kennedy Space Center,
Florida. It had stayed
in orbit for 16 days and
the seven-member crew
conducted 80 experiments
before it began its downward
journey, which ended in
tragedy. This was Columbia’s
28th space flight and the
shuttle was said to be good
for 100 flights.
1. KALPANA Chawla said that she never
dreamed, as a child in Karnal, that she
would cross the frontiers of space. It was
enough that her parents allowed her to
attend engineering college after she
graduated from Tagore School.
2. After a Bachelor of Science degree in
aeronautical engineering, against great
opposition from her father, she went for
a master’s degree to the United States
of America. She later earned her Ph.D.
in aerospace engineering. Kalpana
Chawla was the first Indian–American
woman astronaut to blast off from the
Rationalised 2023-24
AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 45
launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida,
and participate in a successful mission
in space. Her family from India cheered
along with staff at the Kennedy Space
Center as they watched the Columbia
lift off.
3. Kalpana was born in Karnal, Haryana,
but was a naturalised U.S. citizen,
married to flight instructor Jean-Pierre
Harrison. Besides being an astronaut,
she was licensed to fly single and multi-
engine land airplanes, single-engine
seaplanes and gliders. She was also a
certified flight instructor. After
Rationalised 2023-24
46 HONEYSUCKLE
qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana began to
consider another challenge: applying to
NASA’s space shuttle program. She was
first hired as a research scientist at
NASA. In 1994 she was selected by
NASA for training as an astronaut.
4. When asked what it was like being a
woman in her field she replied, “I really
never, ever thought, while pursuing my
studies or doing anything else, that I
was a woman, or a person from a small
city, or a different country. I pretty
much had my dreams like anyone else
and I followed them. And people who
were around me, fortunately, always
encouraged me and said, ‘If that’s what
you want to do, carry on’.”
5. Kalpana’s first space mission in the
space shuttle, Columbia, was 15 days,
16 hours and 34 minutes long. During
this time she went around the earth 252
times, travelling 10.45 million
kilometres! The crew included a
Japanese and a Ukranian astronaut.
The crew performed experiments such
as pollinating plants to observe food
growth in space, and tests for making
stronger metals and faster computer
chips — all for a price tag of about
56 million dollars.
6. On the Saturday night when the
news about the Columbia disaster
broke, there was shock and disbelief.
Rationalised 2023-24
AN INDIAN–AMERICAN WOMAN IN SPACE: KALPANA CHAWLA 47
The town of Karnal spent a sleepless
night as thousands of households
stayed glued to their television sets in
the hope that Kalpana and the crew had
somehow survived. A journalist wrote:
She was a heroine. It takes enormous
ability to become an astronaut. You need
to know a lot about everything, from biology
to astrophysics to aeronautical engineering.
In this age of super-specialisation, you
must have encyclopaedic knowledge
to be an astronaut. Her achievement is
awe-inspiring.
Rationalised 2023-24