CHAWLA

Mission specialist Kalpana Chawla, 41, brought a high-achievement profile to the astronaut program from Karnal, India. Holder of a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College, she left home for post-graduate studies in the U.S. and became a citizen, although she remained close to Indian education programs and was regarded as a leader of India's diaspora. She earned a master's degree at the University of Texas and a doctorate from the University of Colorado, both in aerospace engineering. At the same time, she started work at NASA Ames Research Center in powered-lift computational fluid dynamics (including ground-effect studies of the Harrier) and mapping of flow solvers to parallel computers. In private industry, she computer simulated multiple moving bodies. She held a flight instructor's license with airplane and glider ratings and a commercial pilot's license for single- and multi-engine land and sea aircraft. She was married to a flight instructor and included aerobatic flying among her hobbies. She joined NASA in 1996 and flew on STS-87 in 1997, which focused on microgravity experiments.

  USAF Col. Rick Douglas Husband
  Col. Ilan Ramon
  Mission specialist Kalpana Chawla
  Capt. David M. Brown
  U.S. Navy Cdr. William C. McCool
  Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson
  U.S. Navy Capt. (select) Laurel Blair Salton Clark

Special Report: Columbia Investigation