Correct option is D
Kalpana Chawla, an American astronaut and engineer of Indian origin, made history as the first woman of Indian descent to travel to space. Her pioneering journey took place aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997, where she served as a mission specialist and operated the primary robotic arm during the mission.
· The Space Shuttle Columbia, designated as OV-102, was the inaugural orbiter in NASA's Space Shuttle fleet, marking the beginning of the Space Shuttle program with its first flight, STS-1, on April 12, 1981.
· Over its operational lifespan of more than 22 years, Columbia successfully completed 27 missions. Tragically, during re-entry on its 28th mission, STS-107, on February 1, 2003, the orbiter disintegrated, leading to the loss of all seven crew members aboard.