I don't know why I always liked aerospace engineering. I was in the 10th grade when I figured that's what I wanted to do.

The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur named the Kalpana Chawla Space Technology Cell in her honor. Manmohan Singh. One of them is Chawla Hill named after Chawla.

She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. She was the first Indian American astronaut and first Indian woman in space.