The Hindu : PM christens METSAT after Kalpana

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Thursday, Feb 06, 2003

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PM christens METSAT after Kalpana

By Our Special Correspondent

The first Indian space traveller, Rakesh Sharma, paying tribute to Kalpana Chawla at a condolence meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Vice-President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, are also seen. — Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

NEW DELHI FEB. 5. Top political leaders today paid glowing tributes to the `brave and courageous' Kalpana Chawla, the Indian-born astronaut and six others who perished in the Columbia space shuttle disaster.

As an eternal tribute to the space traveller from Karnal, who reached for the stars through her voyages, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, christened Meteorological Satellite (METSAT), Kalpana-I and dedicated it to the nation. The ISRO-made satellite was launched last September aboard PSLV-IV.

At a special condolence meeting, organised by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, the speakers observed that through her deeds Dr. Kalpana Chawla, had managed to fire the imagination of an entire generation of youth, especially girls.

Mr. Vajpayee said there was no dearth of brave young people in the country who could accomplish difficult tasks. He said it was the question of getting the right opportunities accompanied by dedication, determination and encouragement for achieving success.

The Vice President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, said the young astronaut who came from a small town had proved that even dreams could be turned into reality. "Just as she was named Kalpana, she dreamt of going into space and turned it into a reality. He suggested her biography be published and her saga is included in school, so that her life can inspire successive generations''.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, likened her courage to that of Rani of Jhansi. Recalling how she maintained her links with Karnal, he said each year Kalpana Chawla used to facilitate visits of students to the National Aeronautical Space Agency.

The Leader of the Opposition, Sonia Gandhi, said she showed that with determination one could achieve what one dreams to do. "Her achievement has captured the imagination of the entire country...it epitomises the spirit of adventure.'' She said the Indian-born astronaut had become a `powerful role model' and her success showed that given the right opportunity Indians have the potential to achieve big things.

As a special gesture, the evening saw India's first and only spaceman, Rakesh Sharma paying an emotional tribute to a fellow astronaut. He said since 1984, when he went up in the then USSR-owned Soyuz spacecraft, he had been waiting to meet another Indian who would accomplish a similar feat. That it never happened was a matter of regret, he said, adding that even in the death these astronauts had worked to make space travel safer in future.

The Indian Space Research Organisation chief, K. Kasturirangan, too paid tributes to all the seven astronauts. He said in addition to the loss of these highly accomplished people, the space community had lost invaluable data. Yet, they showed the true spirit of adventure and exploration.

Meanwhile, the Consultative Committee on External Affairs today expressed its deepest condolences on the tragic loss of Kalpana Chawla and six other members of the crew. It also placed on record that "her professional dedication, success and determination to further the boundaries of human knowledge had made her a symbol of pride for the people of India.''

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