An American commercial cargo aircraft that will soon be embarking on the journey to the international space station is heard to be named after late Indian – American Astronaut, Kalpana Chawla.
The decision was taken by the global aerospace company, Northrop Grumman which is based out of the US. Their next Cygnus capsule will be named ‘S.S. Kalpana Chawla’. This is in the remembrance of the first Indian woman to travel to space.
“Chawla was selected in honor of her prominent place in history as the first woman of Indian descent to go to space,” read the official website of Northrop Grumman.
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
The official announcement was done by NASA on Twitter on September 9. Northrop Grumman tweeted through its official page too.
Kalpana Chawla and 6 other crew members passed away in 2003 when the Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) burned to ashes while entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Cygnus capsule is scheduled to leave planet Earth on September 29.
Today, @NorthropGrumman named the next #Cygnus spacecraft launching to @Space_Station in honor of astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first woman of Indian descent to go to space: https://t.co/ncUSaSaESd
Liftoff is targeted for Sept. 29 from @NASA_Wallops. pic.twitter.com/Ss6ZoSZDbT
— NASA (@NASA) September 8, 2020
