New Delhi, February 11: The status of women is improving due to education, social awareness, and the contributions of various organizations. Today, women are excelling in every field, including science. Every year on February 11, the world celebrates ‘International Day of Women and Girls in Science.’
The United Nations General Assembly declared this day in 2015. It honors women’s contributions to science, raises awareness, and emphasizes the need to promote both science and gender equality to tackle global challenges.
UNESCO places significant importance on this day, prioritizing gender equality. Numerous events occur worldwide, showcasing examples of reducing gender gaps in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. This day inspires girls to pursue careers in STEM.
On this special day, it is relevant to remember Indian astronaut Kalpana Chawla. She was an Indian-American astronaut who worked with NASA. Tragically, she lost her life in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003. To honor her bravery and contributions, ISRO named its first dedicated meteorological satellite after her.
The Kalpana-1 satellite (originally named Metsat-1) was launched on September 12, 2002, from Sriharikota using the PSLV-C4 rocket. On February 5, 2003, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee officially named it Kalpana-1. It is India’s first geostationary meteorological satellite, positioned at 74 degrees east longitude.
Kalpana-1 was equipped with many features, weighing 1,060 kilograms at launch (dry weight of 498 kg) and generating 550 watts of power. The mission was designed for a lifespan of seven years but lasted over 15 years. Its main instruments included a very high-resolution radiometer that captured images in visible, infrared, and thermal infrared with a resolution of 2 kilometers, and a data relay transponder that collected data from weather stations.
Kalpana-1 successfully provided information on clouds, water vapor, temperature, and the atmosphere, aiding in weather forecasting, climate studies, and disaster management. It marked the beginning of ISRO’s meteorological satellite series.
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