Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-born woman to go to space in 1997.

She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator.

Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana, where she completed her schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School Karnal. She graduated from Punjab Engineering College with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering. She received her master's in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984.

In 2000, Kalpana Chawla was selected for her second flight as part of the crew of STS-107. Her second trip began in 2003 when she served on the Space Shuttle Columbia's last flight. On February 1, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas, during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, just 16 minutes before landing.

Image Courtesy: colnet.com