Northrop Grumman names spacecraft in honour of Kalpana Chawla

The S S Kalpana Chawla will be launched into orbit from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Wallops Island. Chawla and her six STS-107 crewmates perished on February 1, 2003, over Texas as Columbia was re-entering Earth's atmosphere.

Washington: 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 honor of the Columbia astronaut, company officials announced on Tuesday.

"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.

"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.

• 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. Learn more: https://t.co/LBjGbl2Tbv pic.twitter.com/5pVAxaujRb

  — Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) September 8, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  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. Learn more: https://t.co/LBjGbl2Tbv pic.twitter.com/5pVAxaujRb

  — Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) September 8, 2020

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  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. Learn more: https://t.co/LBjGbl2Tbv pic.twitter.com/5pVAxaujRb

  — Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) September 8, 2020

ANI