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The Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched on
Space Shuttle mission STS-93.
STS-93 Launch Date: July 23, 1999
With the completion of the Neurolab mission (STS-90) and the decision not to
refly it, Chandra was Columbia's 26th flight. Bar chart of Chandra mission status.
Chandra was launched by the NASA Space Transportation System (STS) from NASA
John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS vehicle consists of the Space
Shuttle Orbiter - in this case, the original flight vehicle, OV-102 Columbia -
a disposable External Tank containing liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and
two Redesigned Solid Rocket Motors in recoverable Solid Rocket Boosters.
Chandra, attached to a Boeing IUS rocket, was mounted in the Orbiter's payload bay
for launch. The Orbiter reached a low circular orbit and deployed the Chandra/IUS
combination. The two IUS solid motors fired in succession to place Chandra in
a highly elliptical orbit. Chandra's own IPS integral propulsion system, derived
from TRW's DM-LAE comsat apogee engine, fired several times to raise the
orbit to its final height of 10000 x 140000 km.
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