Kalpana Chawla's Father Passes Away At 90, Haryana CM Extends Condolences

Banarasi Lal Chawla was the father of India's first female astronaut, late Kalpana Chawla.

Father of Kalpana Chawla, Banarasi Lal Chawla (R) and Late Kalpana Chawla (L)

Source : Getty, X/@mlkhattar

India's first female astronaut late Kalpana Chawla's father Banarasi Lal Chawla passed away on Tuesday at the age of 90. Banarasi Lal Chawla was admitted at a private hospital in Haryana's Karnal. As per a report of the Indian Express, he was undergoing treatment for the past few days.

According to the sources close to the family, the body of Chawla will be donated to Karnal’s Kalpana Chawla Medical College, reported Indian Express. 

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, while sharing the news about Chawla's demise on X (formerly known as Twitter), wrote, "Sad news was received about the demise of Mr Banarasi Lal Chawla, father of Haryana's daughter Kalpana Chawla. She gave her daughter the freedom to dream and reach for the stars, which glorified India all over the world and became an inspiration for other daughters. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed soul and provide strength to the bereaved family. Om Shanti."

हरियाणा की बेटी कल्पना चावला के पिता श्री बनारसी लाल चावला जी के निधन का दुखद समाचार प्राप्त हुआ।

उन्होंने अपनी बेटी को सपने देखने व सितारों तक पहुंचने की आज़ादी दी, जिसने संपूर्ण विश्व में भारत का मानवर्धन किया और बाकी बेटियों के लिए प्रेरणा बनीं।

ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि… pic.twitter.com/Li1YlwSnqb

— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) October 3, 2023

Who Was Kalpana Chawla?

Kalpana Chawla, born in Haryana's Karnal, was the first Indian-born woman and second Indian in history to go to space. An aerospace engineer, Chawla, in her first mission, flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. Chawla made history as the first Indian woman, and the first South Asian American woman, to go to space.

During her second mission, on January 16, 2003, Chawla launched into space on board Space Shuttle Columbia once more as part of STS-107. During the 16-day mission, the crew performed over 80 scientific experiments.

However, the spacecraft disintegrated as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven members on board. Kalpana Chawla and Jean-Pierre Harrison got married in 1983.

Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, universities, and institutions have been named after her to honour her spirit and achievements.