A lot of attention has been paid to Col. Ilan Roman, the Israeli astronaut who died on Columbia, but Dr. Kalpana Chawla was a space pioneer beloved by people in her native country too. A reader of Indian heritage writes:

As an American I am saddened by the events of this weekend. I am heartbroken for Israel as well – that country has suffered so much and now this. I just wanted to add that this is also a tragedy for Indians. Although Dr. Chawla was a naturalized American citizen, she apparently kept in contact with her Indian roots and was an inspiration to little Indian boys and girls who now dream of space and conquest and adventure because of her courage.

Read this New York Times story to get an idea of what the reader is talking about.