Not everything went smoothly during her first trip to space.
Her assignments included experiments using the 3,000-pound Spartan satellite. Unfortunately for Kalpana, the satellite malfunctioned after release. The satellite was supposed to perform a pirouette within 90 seconds after release to demonstrate that its systems were functioning correctly. When Spartan failed to respond, Kalpana attempted to recapture it using the shuttle's robot arm, an effort that inadvertently sent the satellite into a slow spin.
Three days later, astronauts Winston Scott and Takao Doi recaptured Spartan during a spacewalk, which Kalpana choreographed from inside the shuttle.
A NASA investigation later determined that the crew had failed to send an important command to control the $10 million satellite.
The investigation was a cause of concern to Kalpana, who was eventually absolved. Later, in an interview she said she craved another chance at space flight.
Photograph: JSC/NASA
Remembering Kalpana | The Chawlas' odyssey