An Indian-american Woman In Space: Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana. However, she is called an Indian-American because she acquired U. S. citizenship after she went there to pursue her master’s degree and consequently became a naturalized citizen of the U. S.

She went to the U. S. to pursue a master’s degree after completing a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering. She married the flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison.

Kalpana Chawla was previously licensed to fly single and multi-engine land airplanes, single-engine seaplanes and gliders. Besides this, she was also a certified flight instructor.

Her immense success as a pilot gave her the idea that she could become an Astronaut. She was first hired as a research scientist at NASA and later on in 1994 was selected for training as an astronaut.

According to the journalist, it takes enormous ability to become an astronaut. One needs to know a lot about everything, from biology to astrophysics to aeronautical engineering. In addition to this, one must also have the encyclopedic knowledge to be an astronaut.

Kalpana Chawla’s first mission in the space shuttle, Columbia, was 15 days, 16hours and 34 minutes long. During this time, she went around the earth with the entire crew 252 times, travelling 10.45 million kilometers. During their mission, the crew performed experiments such as pollinating plants to observe food growth in space, and tests for making stronger metals and faster computer chips – all for a price tag of about 56 million dollars.

In a message that Kalpana Chawla sent from aboard the space shuttle, Columbia, to the students of her college in Chandigarh, she said that the path from dreams to success does exist. All it requires is a vision to find it and the courage to get onto it. In the end, she concluded by wishing everyone a great journey.

1. Date and place of lift-off: Columbia had lifted off on 16 January 2003, from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida

2. Number of astronauts on board: It had a seven-member crew on board

3. Number of days it stayed in space: It stayed in the orbit for 16 days

4. Number of experiments done by scientists: 80 experiments had been done by scientists

5. Date of return journey: Saturday, 1^st February 2003

6. Height at which it lost contact: It was flying at an altitude of over 200,000 feet

1. broke apart – to break violently

The flower went it pieces as it broke apart.

2. streaked over – to pass by in a quick manner

A sudden flash of lightning streaked over the dark sky.

3. spread across – opened out in different directions

It is difficult to meet all my relatives as they are spread across the entire Indian subcontinent.

4. lifted off – the act of flying in a spacecraft, aircraft etc.

The airplane lifted off with a sudden speed.

5. blast off – the act of taking off from a launching site

The spacecraft blasted off successfully.

6. went on – to go on or continue with

In spite of that horrific incident, she strongly went on with her schedule the next day.

7. cheered along – a loud shout of appreciation

The audience enthusiastically cheered along on her arrival.

8. on board – on or inside a ship, spacecraft, aircraft etc.

The passengers were on board well in time.

9. carry on – to continue with a particular task

The student systematically carried on with her presentation.

1. identified – unidentified

2. controlled – uncontrolled

3. attended – unattended

4. successful – unsuccessful

5. important – unimportant

6. educated – uneducated

7. interesting - uninteresting

8. qualified – unqualified

9. trained - untrained

10. Answerable – unanswerable

Meaning

1. unidentified – not recognized

2. uncontrolled – the loss of power to control a situation or certain things

3. unattended – not noticed or looked after

4. unsuccessful – the situation of failure

5. unimportant – the lack of value for something

6. uneducated – lack of literacy i.e. the basic level of learning to read and write

7. uninteresting – something boring in nature

8. unqualified – not fit for a particular task

9. untrained – not enough experience

10. unanswerable – the inability to be answerable to a particular cause

(i) May you achieve the best heights and be successful in all your games.

(ii) I wish you good luck in all your endeavors for the upcoming competitions.

(iii)Wishing you all the very best for your upcoming examinations. Your hard work will definitely take you to greater altitudes always.

NOTE – This is an activity-based question. Students are additionally required to collect appropriate information from the places given and also use their own skills in writing as well as replying to the messages of their partner.

Dreams are the driving force towards success in life. They are the powerful tools to drive the inner self towards bringing out the best in one.

Yes, I have an aspiration of clearing the Competitive Examination with a high score. It is not the power and prestige attached with same is what drives my dream but the very idea to bring about a “change” is what I dream about. And as it has been rightly said by Mahatma Gandhi and I quote, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

I think that the only key to success is hard work. Although smart work is the new mantra available, it is hard work and the only hard work that gives instills a sense of determination within oneself. Hard work not only makes you stronger and systematic in approach but it also gives you a wide spectrum of knowledge.

The beauty of nature and its constituents can not only be seen through the human eye but at the same time can also be felt and heard.

The melodious voices of the birds chirping all around are also a part of the sounds that the poet thinks are beautiful.

According to the poet, Keats, the heard melodies are soothing to hear, however, the unheard are much sweeter because of the lasting effect that they have on an individual’s mind.

Yes, we often ‘hear’ a song deep inside our mind even after it has finished because of the long lasting effect of the music and its beats.

The other phrases are as follows:

● Wind that is sighing

● Rain that is falling

● A singer who is chanting

The poet uses these short phrases in the poem to divert the attention of the reader

towards the beauty of the nature and its constituents. The use of shorter phrases

also places the natural beauty at the forefront thereby highlighting their

importance and the pleasant effect that they create.

The Mother Nature is full of beautiful things. The poem has not only enhanced the beauty of these natural elements present on the Earth but it has also left an important message of enjoying their presence in our day-to-day lives.

Looking around, one can observe the beauty of the flowing water and its sweet noise. The soothing rays of the sun coming indirectly from behind the dark clouds, the colours that the rainbow spreads as it comes after a rain shower and the scenic beauty of the mountains, valleys and the forests are symbols of happiness and joy which not only refresh the mind but also wash away negativity, thereby bring positivity all around.

NOTE – Students can elaborate this answer with the help of more creative ideas through the medium of pictures as shown above.

The essence of Beauty is a very vivid concept. It is not limited to a particular thing but is a very broad understanding of the qualities that are pleasant and soothing in nature.

As the poem highlights the beauty of the nature which can not only be seen but also heard shows the effect of nature on the human mind. In addition to this, the poem also talks about the beauty present in an individual itself. The good deeds and thoughts of an individual shape his/her charming appearance.

Beauty is something inherent in every individual in different ways. In order to live a peaceful life, it is important for human beings to appreciate the beautiful ideas in one another. Thus, the poem, in the end, gives a “beautiful and positive message” of appreciating and enjoying the beauty within as well as around oneself.

Do yourself.

(a) Naturalized U. S. citizen – A Naturalized U. S. citizen is the one who is not a citizen of U. S. (non-citizen) but has acquired citizenship lawfully.

(b) Space – it refers to the physical universe present beyond the earth’s atmosphere

(c) Frontiers of space – The word frontier refers to the boundary separating two different areas. Frontiers of space refers to the separating boundary between the earth and the space

(d) Aboard – aboard refers to the action of getting on or into a particular vehicle (a ship, aircraft, train or any other vehicle)

(e) Lift off (How is it different from ‘take off’?) – Take off refers to the act of being transported by air (airborne). Lift off refers to the special act of taking off vertically associated with an aircraft, spacecraft or a rocket.

(f) Crew – it refers to a set of people (a group) who work on and operate a ship, spacecraft, aircraft etc.

The spelling of the word “airplane” in British English is – Aeroplane

The spelling of the word “program” in British English is – Programme