An Indian American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla Summary, Explanation, Word meanings Class 6

 
Cl. 6 Honeysuckle Book Chp. 4
 
By Jyoti Verma
 

CBSE Class 6 English Lesson An Indian American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla Summary, Line by Line Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Honeysuckle Book

 
An Indian – American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla –  Here is the Class 6 English Honeysuckle Book Lesson 4- An Indian American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla Summary and Detailed explanation of the Lesson along with meanings of difficult words.

 

Class 6 English (Honeysuckle Book) Chapter 4

An Indian – American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla

[adapted from Span January/February 1998]

 

 

Related: An Indian American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla Question Answers (Important) | Class 6 English Honeysuckle

 
 

Introduction

This lesson throws light upon a tragic incident that had never happened before. It was when an Indian – American, Kalpana Chawla, the magic woman was part of the international crew aboard in the U.S. Space Shuttle, Columbia, becoming the first woman born in India to go into space.

 
 

An Indian American Woman in Space Kalpana Chawla Summary

As a child, Kalpana never dreamt of space travel. It was not sufficient for her to graduate from an engineering college. After graduating as an aeronautical engineer from Punjab Engineering College, she went for a master’s degree to the United States, in spite of her father’s opposition. Later, she did her P.hD in the subject. She had the pride of being the first India born American woman Astronaut to blast off from Florida and be a part of the successful space mission. Kalpana was born in Karnal, Haryana but was a naturalized U.S Citizen. She married a flight instructor – Jean Pierre Harrison. Apart from being an astronaut, she was also trained to fly single and multi-engine land airplanes, single seaplanes and gliders. She was a certified flight instructor. After qualifying as  a pilot, she decided to apply to NASA’S SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM and was selected for training as an Astronaut. She was an extraordinary woman who thought differently and was an enthusiastic and optimistic. Her first space mission was 16 days long. During this time, she travelled 10.45 million kilometres in 252 orbits.The crew had seven members and they conducted 80 experiments. They also checked if  food could be grown in space, how stronger metals and faster computer chips could be created. The news of Columbia disaster made everyone grief-stricken. A shock wave was spread everywhere. A journalist called her a heroine. She had enormous potential and wide information – encyclopedic knowledge of each subject. Her achievements were actually marvellous. She created history and became an inspiration for everyone. Her life is a testimony that dreams can get success. The only thing we need to make them a reality is courage and vision.

 
 

An Indian American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla Summary in Hindi

बचपन में कल्पना ने कभी अंतरिक्ष यात्रा का सपना नहीं देखा था। इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज से स्नातक होना उसके लिए पर्याप्त नहीं था। पंजाब इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज से एक एरोनॉटिकल इंजीनियर के रूप में स्नातक होने के बाद, वह अपने पिता के विरोध के बावजूद, संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका में मास्टर डिग्री के लिए चली गई। बाद में उन्होंने इस विषय में पीएचडी की। उन्हें फ्लोरिडा से उड़ान भरने और सफल अंतरिक्ष मिशन का हिस्सा बनने वाली पहली भारतीय अमेरिकी महिला अंतरिक्ष यात्री होने का गौरव प्राप्त था।

कल्पना का जन्म हरियाणा के करनाल में हुआ था, लेकिन वह एक अमेरिकी नागरिक थीं। उसने एक फ्लाइट इंस्ट्रक्टर – जीन पियरे हैरिसन से शादी की। एक अंतरिक्ष यात्री होने के अलावा, उन्हें सिंगल और मल्टी-इंजन लैंड एयरप्लेन, सिंगल समुद्री विमान और ग्लाइडर उड़ाने का भी प्रशिक्षण दिया गया था। वह एक प्रमाणित उड़ान प्रशिक्षक थीं। एक पायलट के रूप में अर्हता प्राप्त करने के बाद, उन्होंने नासा के अंतरिक्ष शटल कार्यक्रम में आवेदन करने का फैसला किया और उन्हें एक अंतरिक्ष यात्री के रूप में प्रशिक्षण के लिए चुना गया। वह एक असाधारण महिला थीं, जो अलग तरह से सोचती थीं और एक उत्साही और आशावादी थीं। उनका पहला अंतरिक्ष मिशन 16 दिनों का था। इस दौरान उन्होंने 252 कक्षाओं में 10.45 मिलियन किलोमीटर की यात्रा की।

चालक दल के सात सदस्य थे और उन्होंने 80 प्रयोग किए। उन्होंने यह भी जांचा कि क्या अंतरिक्ष में भोजन उगाया जा सकता है, कैसे मजबूत धातु और तेज कंप्यूटर चिप्स बनाए जा सकते हैं। कोलंबिया आपदा की खबर ने सभी को स्तब्ध कर दिया। हर तरफ सदमे की लहर फैल गई। एक पत्रकार ने उन्हें हीरोइन कहा। उसके पास विशाल क्षमता और विस्तृत जानकारी थी – प्रत्येक विषय का विश्वकोशीय ज्ञान। उनकी उपलब्धियां वास्तव में अद्भुत थीं। उन्होंने इतिहास रचा और सबके लिए प्रेरणा बनीं। उनका जीवन इस बात का प्रमाण है कि सपनों को सफलता मिल सकती है। उन्हें साकार करने के लिए हमें केवल साहस और दूरदृष्टि की जरूरत है।

 
 

An Indian American Woman in Space Kalpana Chawla Explanation

A News Report

Tragedy in Space U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia breaks into flames

Passage: In an unprecedented space tragedy, U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia, carrying India-born American astronaut Kalpana Chawla and six others, broke apart in flames as it streaked over Texas towards its landing strip on Saturday, 1 February 2003, killing all seven on board. The shuttle lost contact with NASA at about 9 a.m. (19.30 hrs 1ST) as it came in for landing. It was flying at an altitude of over 200,000 feet and travelling at over 20,000 km. per hour when ground control lost contact with the shuttle. Columbia had lifted off on 16 January 2003, from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It had stayed in orbit for 16 days and the seven-member crew conducted 80 experiments before it began its downward journey, which ended in tragedy. This was Columbia’s 28th space flight and the shuttle was said to be good for 100 flights.

Word Meaning
broke apart: crashed
on board: on or in aircraft

 

Explanation of the above Passage – U.S Space shuttle Columbia which was carrying India born American Astronaut Kalpana Chawla and six others crashed over Texas while landing on Saturday,1 February,2003, killing all seven on board. Sharp at 9.00 a.m the shuttle lost its contact with NASA. It was flying at an altitude of over 200,000 feet and its traveling speed was 20,000km per hour when ground control lost its contact with the shuttle. Columbia took its 28th  flight on 16 January 2003 from the Kennedy space center, Florida. It stayed in orbit for 6 days and crew members did 80 experiments before beginning its tragic journey towards the land. This shuttle had been claimed to be good for 100 flights more.

Passage: KALPANA Chawla said that she never dreamed as a child in Karnal, that she would cross the frontiers of space. It was enough that her parents allowed her to attend engineering college after she graduated from Tagore School.

Word Meaning
Allowed: permitted

Explanation of the above Passage – Kalpana ‘s birth place was Karnal. She said that she never dreamed to ever cross the leaders of space even. It was enough for her that her parents permitted her to attend engineering college after her graduation from Tagore school.

Passage: After a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, against great opposition from her father, she went for a master’s degree to the United States of America. She later earned her P.h.D in aerospace engineering. Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian–American woman astronaut to blast off from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and participate in a successful mission in space. Her family from India cheered along with staff at the Kennedy Space Center as they watched the Columbia lift off.

 

Chapter 1 A tale of two birds Chapter 2 The Friendly Mongoose Chapter 3 The Shepherd’s Treasure
Chapter 4 Tansen Chapter 5 The Monkey and the Crocodile Chapter 6 The Wonder Called Sleep
Chapter 7 A Pact with the Sun

 

kalpana chawla

Word Meaning
Astronaut : a person trained to  serve as a crew member of a spacecraft
Blast off : take off from a launching site

Explanation of the above Passage – Despite her father’s opposition, Kalpana went for a master’s degree to the United States of America after completing her Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering. Later, she did her PhD in aerospace engineering. She was the first Indo-American woman astronaut to take off from a Rocket launching site at Cape Canaveral, Florida for a successful mission in space. Her family from India cheered along with the staff at the Kennedy Space Center as they watched the Columbia lift off.

Passage:  Kalpana was born in Karnal, Haryana, but was a naturalized U.S. citizen, married to flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison. Besides being an astronaut, she was licensed to fly single and multi-engine land airplanes, single-engine seaplanes and gliders. She was also a certified flight instructor. After qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana began to consider another challenge: applying to NASA’s space shuttle program. She was first hired as a research scientist at NASA. In 1994 she was selected by NASA for training as an astronaut.

Word Meaning
Besides: apart from
Gliders : fixed- wing aircraft

Explanation of the above Passage – Kalpana’s birth place was Karnal, Haryana but she became a U.S citizen. She was married to flight instructor  Jean-Pierre Harrison. Apart from being an astronaut she was adept at flying single and multi engine land airplanes, single – engine seaplanes and gliders. She was also a certified flight instructor. After qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana took another challenge and applied to NASA’s space shuttle program. First, she joined NASA as a research scientist. In 1994 she was selected for training as an astronaut by NASA

Passage:  When asked what it was like being a woman in her field she replied, “I really never, ever thought, while pursuing my studies or doing anything else, that I was a woman, or a person from a small city, or a different country. I pretty much had my dreams like anyone else and I followed them. And people who were around me, fortunately, always encouraged me and said, ‘If that’s what you want to do, carry on’.”

Word Meaning
Pursuing : following or continuing

Explanation of the above Passage – People asked her about her feelings as being a woman in the field. She replied that she never thought that she was a woman or she belonged to a small city or from another country. Rather she had her own dreams and she followed them like any other person at that place. And fortunately, people in her surroundings always motivated her to pursue her dreams and carry on with the arenas of her choice.

Passage:  Kalpana’s first space mission in the space shuttle, Columbia, was 15 days, 16 hours and 34 minutes long. During this time she went around the earth 252 times, travelling 10.45 million kilometers! The crew included a Japanese and a Ukranian astronaut. 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.

Word Meaning
pollinating : the process of taking pollen from one place to another for fertilization.

Explanation of the above Passage – Columbia was her first space mission. It took 15 days,16 hours and 34 minutes to complete it. She covered 10.45 kilometres while orbiting around the earth for 252 times. The crew had a Japanese and a Ukranian astronaut. The crew tried to pollinate plants to check food growth in space and conducted tests for making stronger metals and faster computer chips – all for a price tag of about 56 million dollars.

space mission

Passage:  On the Saturday night when the news about the Columbia disaster broke, there was shock and disbelief.
The town of Karnal spent a sleepless night as thousands of households stayed glued to their television sets in the hope that Kalpana and the crew had somehow survived. A journalist wrote: She was a heroine. It takes enormous ability to become an astronaut. You need to know a lot about everything, from biology to astrophysics to aeronautical engineering. In this age of super-specialization, you must have an encyclopedic knowledge to be an astronaut. Her achievement is awe-inspiring.

Word Meaning
Disaster : a sudden accident or natural calamity that causes damage or loss of life
Disbelief : lack of belief
glued : sticked
Enormous : huge
Encyclopaedic : comprehensive, complete
astrophysics : branch of astronomy that studies physical nature of celestial bodies ( stars etc)
Aeronautical : science of building aircrafts
Awe-inspiring : stunning, astonishing, amazing, remarkable

Explanation of the above Passage – People were filled with grief and were not able to believe the news of the Columbia disaster. They were stuck to their television sets to get the news of Kalpana’s survival. A journalist called her a heroine. It is a matter of huge potential to be an astronaut. One needs to have a thorough knowledge of every subject from Biology to Astrophysics to aeronautical engineering. Her achievements were actually remarkable.

Passage:  For millions of young Indians, the story of Kalpana Chawla, a girl from a small town who touched the skies, had become an inspiration. In a message that she sent from aboard the space shuttle, Columbia, to the students of her college in Chandigarh, Kalpana said, “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get onto it… . Wishing you a great journey.” There will surely be many who start off on this journey to fulfil their dreams.

Word Meaning
Aboard: on an aircraft or spacecraft

Explanation of the above Passage – Kalpana’s story stimulated thousands of young minds to do something creative and innovative. She touched the skies and became an inspiration for many. She even sent a message from Columbia to the students of her college in Chandigarh, She said, “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get onto it… . Wishing you a great journey.” There must be many people who might have even started their journey to make their dreams a reality.


 

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