NASA launches SS Kalpana Chawla Cargo Spacecraft

In a recent development, NASA launched its commercial cargo spacecraft on Thursday named after Kalpana Chawla, known to be first Indian-born woman to reach low earth orbit.

The spacecraft is meant to commemorate the deceased NASA astronaut's unparalleled contributions to human spaceflight.

The spacecraft was launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

As per reports, the spacecraft will reach and be attached to the space station two days later.

Regarding the NG-14 mission,  S.S. Kalpana Chawla spacecraft will deliver approximately 3,630 kilograms of cargo to the station.

The spacecraft named Cygnus has been manufactured and launched by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems as part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program.

A new crop of vegetables was also directed to the space station.

In previous experiments, they have grown different types of lettuces and greens aboard the orbiting laboratory, the "Plant Habitat-02" investigation also adds radishes to the mix that cultivates seeds to spot how different light and soil conditions affect the growth.

The Cygnus also includes the test of a biologic drug that could be used for the treatment of leukemia.

Expanding on this list, Robyn Gatens, acting director of the International Space Station at NASA headquarters, stated that the flight is carrying 6,000 pounds of cargo including refined radishes and a 3D camera, that's going to go on the outside of the space station to take images when the crew is doing a spacewalk.

Northrop Grumman, an American aerospace and defence technology firm and the maker of the satellite, said that this mission is named after Chawla in memory of the mission specialist who died along with her six crewmates aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. 

Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana. She moved to the United States for higher studies, eventually started her career at NASA, conducting research in fluid dynamics at the Ames Research Center in California.

She became a NASA astronaut as a member of "The Flying Escargot," NASA's 15th class of trainees.

The successful astronaut took her first spaceflight in 1997 aboard the STS-87, a 15-day shuttle mission that was dedicated to science flying.

It is to be mentioned that the first Indian woman astronaut made the ultimate sacrifice in service during her second spaceflight, STS-107. 

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