Kalpana Chawla And Pierre Harrison's Love Story: Common Love For Flying To Tragic End Of Marriage

Kalpana Chawla, a name that hardly needs any introduction, was the first woman of Indian origin to fly to space. An Indian American astronaut, Kalpana was the pride of the nation, and her untimely death in 2003 was one of the biggest losses to the entire world. Despite her death, Kalpana’s legacy continues, and she has inspired many other women to pursue a career in aerospace.

Kalpana Chawla was one of the bravest women who chased her dreams of flying and became the first woman to land in space, paving the way for many other women. Though everyone knows her professional achievements, not many are aware of her personal life. Kalpana’s love for flying led to her meeting her husband, Jean Pierre Harrison. Let us read on to know their love story.

Who was Kalpana Chawla?

Born in Karnal, Haryana on March 17, 1962, Kalpana Chawla’s family were Punjabis, who originally belonged to Gujranwala, Pakistan. The family moved to India after the partition. During her childhood, Kalpana showed immense interest in aerospace engineering, but her father dismissed her dreams by stating that it was a man’s profession.

However, Kalpana was not ready to crush her dreams and went on to pursue aeronautical engineering at the Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh. She was the first female student to take aerospace engineering classes at the college. Since everyone around, including her professors, discouraged her from taking aerospace engineering, claiming it was not suitable for women, she travelled to the US for her Masters.

How did Kalpana Chawla meet her husband, Jean Pierre Harrison?

Just like Kalpana, Jean Pierre Harrison was also a flying enthusiast. He was a flying instructor who met Kalpana in Texas, USA. It was during her Master’s in Texas that Kalpana met Jean Pierre Harrison for the first time. He, on the other hand, was a pilot in Arlington, Texas. It was their common love for flying which struck a chord between the two.

Kalpana Chawla and Jean Pierre Harrison got married within a year

It was their shared interest and love for flying which made them fall in love with each other. Within a year of knowing each other, Kalpana decided that Jean was the one destined for her. The couple got married on December 2, 1983, in a private ceremony in the presence of their close friends and family.

After marriage, the couple shifted to Boulder, where Kalpana enrolled for a doctors’ program. It was during this time that she got her Private Pilot License. Besides being an astronaut, Kalpana was licensed to fly single and multi-engine land aeroplanes, single-engine seaplanes and gliders. Not just this, but the woman who loved drawing pictures of aeroplanes, also became a certified flight instructor.

The tragic end of Kalpana Chawla and Jean Pierre Harrison’s love story

Soon after qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana Chawla started applying to NASA’s space shuttle program. She was first hired as a research scientist at NASA and was later selected by NASA for training as an astronaut. Kalpana got occupied with her space missions, which often took her away from her husband and family.

However, the distance never played any hindrance to Kalpana and Jean’s marriage. In 1997, Kalpana went on her first space mission and became the first Indian woman to go into space. She stayed away from her husband for 16 days.

Their love story was stuck with a tragic end when the Columbia space shuttle disaster took place on February 1, 2003, killing the seven crew members aboard, including Kalpana. At the time of her death, Kalpana was 40. It was a big loss to the nation, but for Jean, his 20 years of marriage came crashing down. She reached the moon, but her love story with Jean Pierre Harrison has reached eternity. In 2011, Harrison released Kalpana Chawla’s biography, which he wrote with the title Edge of Time.

Kalpana Chawla, the passionate astronaut died while doing what she loved the most. She will always be remembered for her ardent love for flying.

Also Read: Meet Sunita Williams' Husband, Michael Williams: Practices Hinduism, Flew Helicopters And More

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