"I was not born for one corner. The whole world is my native land."

It was these words of the philospher, Seneca, that Kalpana Chalwa used to describe the "connection and stewardship" she felt towards Earth and the universe.

As fate would have it, she died in the arms of the sky when her space shuttle, Columbia, disintegrated while re-entering into the Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003.

In her last interview to India Today, which she gave just before taking off on her second and final space mission, Chalwa shared her memories of sleeping "in the courtyard under the stars" while growing up in Karnal, Haryana.

"We gazed dreamily at the Milky Way, and once in a while caught some shooting stars. Times like those gave me the opportunity to wonder and ask all those very basic questions. That sense of awe for the heavens started there."

Also read: Rakesh Sharma writes about Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla in the space shuttle simulator. Photo: Wikipedia Creative Commons Kalpana Chawla in the space shuttle simulator. Photo: Wikipedia Creative Commons

Chawla's journey to NASA Astronaut Corps, and to becoming the second Indian and first Indian women to go to space had been carved out of her hard work and determination. And growing up in a small town, perseverance was not something that scared her.

"You couldn't lose by working hard and everyone seemed to follow that rule," Chawla said in her interview, "It helped instill the notion that no matter what the circumstances, you could indeed follow your dreams."

Also read: From India Today Magazine 'Eternal voyager'

In her message for Indian children, Chawla said, "Material interests are not the only guiding light. It is something that you'd enjoy doing in the long run."

"Take the time to figure out how to get there,"she added, "The quickest way may not necessarily be the best. The journey matters as much as the goal."

What remained to be her final lines in the interview is now a haunting reminder, one that we should all pay heed to.

"Listen to the sounds of nature. Wishing you the best on your trek towards your dreams. Take good care of our fragile planet."