Kalpana Chawla was born in India before moving to the USA at a young age and eventually becoming an astronaut. The best thing about the U.S.A. is how little reaction it gets. "Of course you can show up here and become an astronaut. This is America, isn't it?" Wonderful.
India mourned deeply at her passing, and they are backing up that feeling now with deeds. February 1 is now a national day of remembrance. Yesterday they renamed one of their weather satellites Kalpana-1 in her honour, and a medical college (she was a doctor) will also be named after her. Among other measures.
Amidst the sadness, some good news. It comes in the person of U.S. Ambassador to India Robert Blackhill, whose career includes a stint teaching poetry in university. I've read some of his speeches et. al., and he's a gem. But his finest moment so far came in the wake of this tragedy, when he sat down and wrote "Ode to Kalpana". It was picked up all over the Indian media, and attracted a great deal of favourable commentary.
I'm glad the days of ambassador poets aren't dead. A fne touch of class, sir, and a great act of service to both countries.
UPDATE: Beliefnet has a piece called "Seven Heroes, Seven Faiths," which covers each of the astronauts and publishes some of the remembrances and memories from their houses of worship.
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