Kalpana Chawla ( March 17 , 1962 -- February 1 , 2003 ) was the first Indian-American astronaut and first Indian woman in space .
Kalpana Chawla ( March 17 , 1962 -- February 1 , 2003 ) was an Indian astronaut . She was the first Indian-American astronaut and the first Indian woman to go into space .