Exclusive: Find Kalpana Chawla’s Rare NFT Pictures Here

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, GuardianLink on Beyondlife. club NFT marketplace launched Never-before-seen images of astronaut Kalpana Chawla in the form of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens).

NFTs are a type of digital asset which use the blockchain to document the ownership of items such as images, videos and other collectables.

Outlook Money has obtained some rare pictures which have been launched in the form of NFTs at that marketplace. Notably, the NFT collection will feature ten images of Indian-born American astronauts, with 25 copies of each image. The series will have a total of 250 NFT pieces. Also, 10 images will carry an inspiring quote from Chawla to add to its authenticity. 

Chawla's images were released upon the consent of Chawla's husband Jean-Pierre Harrison, a flight instructor by profession. , “In recognition of Kalpana's achievements, I have approved the release of NFTs consisting of rare and previously unseen photographs of moments from her life," says in press statement.

According to the NFT market place which is releasing these NFTs, the funds collected basis this sale will be donated to an Indian child welfare organization. The name of the institution has not been revealed yet. 

An inspiration to many, she was the first India-origin American Astronaut to go into space. Born in Karnal, Haryana, India, Chawla moved to the United States for higher studies, eventually beginning her career at NASA, conducting research in fluid dynamics at the Ames Research Center in California.

On this launch, Ramkumar Subramaniam, Co-Founder & CEO of GuardianLink says, “India’s NFT space is growing at a massive speed and we are witnessing an increased adoption among users. It is indeed a proud moment for us to have been launching Kalpana Chawla’s inspirational quotes and pictures in the form of NFTs on our platform. We are glad that through us and with the help of Jean-Pierre Harrison, we will be able to connect and touch the lives of her million fans”.   

Kalpana Chawla (March 17, 1962 – February 1, 2003) was an Indian-born American astronaut and engineer who was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. Her second flight was on STS-107, the final flight of Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003. Chawla was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, universities, and institutions have been named in her honor. She is regarded as a global hero of space.