Kalpana Chawla became the first woman of Indian origin to travel into space when she flew aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. Born in Karnal, Haryana, she developed an early fascination with aviation and went on to study aerospace engineering in India and the United States.
Her first spaceflight, STS 87, involved scientific experiments and lasted nearly 16 days. Chawla returned to space in 2003 aboard Columbia for the STS 107 mission, which focused on scientific research.
Sunita Williams, whose father was born in India, became one of NASA’s most experienced astronauts. She first travelled to the International Space Station in 2006 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery as part of the STS 116 mission.
During her career, Williams completed multiple space missions and several spacewalks. She has spent more than 600 days in space across three missions, placing her among NASA’s most experienced astronauts by total time in orbit.
Williams returned to the International Space Station in 2024 as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, alongside Barry Wilmore.
Although Rakesh Sharma was not a NASA astronaut, his historic journey remains an important part of India’s connection to human spaceflight. In 1984, Sharma became the first Indian citizen to travel into space, flying aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T 11.
A former Indian Air Force pilot, Sharma spent nearly eight days aboard the Soviet Salyut 7 space station conducting experiments and participating in Earth observation activities.
His mission marked a defining moment in India’s space history and inspired generations of Indians to pursue careers in science and aerospace.
Swati Mohan, an Indian American aerospace engineer, became widely recognized for her role in NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. Born in Bengaluru, India, and raised in the United States, Mohan joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and worked on the development and operations of the Perseverance rover mission.
She served as the guidance, navigation, and control operations lead for the mission. Her team was responsible for helping Perseverance navigate and safely land on Mars.
On February 18, 2021, millions watched as Perseverance successfully touched down on the Martian surface.
The stories of Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, Swati Mohan, and other Indian origin scientists and engineers reflect the growing contribution of the Indian diaspora to space exploration and scientific research.
Their careers span different generations and fields, from human spaceflight and aerospace engineering to planetary exploration. Together, they demonstrate how opportunities in science can connect talent from different parts of the world with some of humanity’s most ambitious missions.
Indian Astronauts: Making History at NASA
Kalpana Chawla became the first woman of Indian origin to travel into space when she flew aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. Born in Karnal, Haryana, she developed an early fascination with aviation and went on to study aerospace engineering in India and the United States.
Kalpana Chawla became the first woman of Indian origin to travel into space when she flew aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. Born in Karnal, Haryana, she developed an early fascination with aviation and went on to study aerospace engineering in India and the United States.
Her first spaceflight, STS 87, involved scientific experiments and lasted nearly 16 days. Chawla returned to space in 2003 aboard Columbia for the STS 107 mission, which focused on scientific research.
Sunita Williams, whose father was born in India, became one of NASA’s most experienced astronauts. She first travelled to the International Space Station in 2006 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery as part of the STS 116 mission.
During her career, Williams completed multiple space missions and several spacewalks. She has spent more than 600 days in space across three missions, placing her among NASA’s most experienced astronauts by total time in orbit.
Williams returned to the International Space Station in 2024 as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, alongside Barry Wilmore.
Although Rakesh Sharma was not a NASA astronaut, his historic journey remains an important part of India’s connection to human spaceflight. In 1984, Sharma became the first Indian citizen to travel into space, flying aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T 11.
A former Indian Air Force pilot, Sharma spent nearly eight days aboard the Soviet Salyut 7 space station conducting experiments and participating in Earth observation activities.
His mission marked a defining moment in India’s space history and inspired generations of Indians to pursue careers in science and aerospace.
Swati Mohan, an Indian American aerospace engineer, became widely recognized for her role in NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. Born in Bengaluru, India, and raised in the United States, Mohan joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and worked on the development and operations of the Perseverance rover mission.
She served as the guidance, navigation, and control operations lead for the mission. Her team was responsible for helping Perseverance navigate and safely land on Mars.
On February 18, 2021, millions watched as Perseverance successfully touched down on the Martian surface.
The stories of Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, Swati Mohan, and other Indian origin scientists and engineers reflect the growing contribution of the Indian diaspora to space exploration and scientific research.
Their careers span different generations and fields, from human spaceflight and aerospace engineering to planetary exploration. Together, they demonstrate how opportunities in science can connect talent from different parts of the world with some of humanity’s most ambitious missions.