November 19,1997

An Indian delegation headed by the Charge d' Affairs of the Indian Embassy, Mr. T.P. Sreenivasan visited the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to greet the first Indian-American astronaut, Dr. Kalpana Chawla, on the eve of the launch of the space shuttle, Columbia. "This is a proud moment for India", Mr. Sreenivasan told Dr. Chawla. He said that Dr. Chawla had added a new and glorious chapter to the history of the Indian-American community, which had made a significant contribution to different facets of life in the United States. He noted that Dr. Chawla was not only born in India, but also had received her early education there. Her early upbringing and education in India, not to speak of her Indian heritage, must have played a significant role in her accomplishment, he said.

Dr. Chawla thanked the people and the Government of India for their affection and encouragement and expressed the hope that her flight would further strengthen the co-operation between the two countries.

The delegation, which included Dr. L. S. Satyamurthy, Counsellor (ISRO) and Dr. A. K. Jain, Counsellor (Science) also called on Mr. Roy Bridges Jr., the distinguished astronaut and Director of the Kennedy Space Centre, and discussed the prospects of space co-operation between India and the United States.