Uncrewed spacecraftActive
Chandra X-ray Observatory observatory
Orbital astronomy observatory
Chandra X-ray Observatory observatory was a about 50,162 pounds (22,753 kilograms) with its upper at launch observatory operated by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Its high resolution mirror assembly, acis imaging , hrc camera, and high- and low-energy transmission gratings enabled the mission's defining science. Chandra resolves structures and point sources that earlier X-ray missions blended together, revealing black-hole environments, supernova-remnant shocks, hot gas in galaxy clusters, stellar coronae, and evidence about dark matter while serving an international guest-observer community.
Uncrewed spacecraft dossier
Flight profile
- Launch
- July 23, 1999
Vehicle record
- Flights
- 1 documented mission
- First flight
- Chandra X-ray Observatory
- Final flight
- Chandra X-ray Observatory
- Operator
- NASA Marshall Space Flight Center with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
- Launch vehicle
- Space Shuttle Columbia
- Mass
- about 50,162 pounds (22,753 kilograms) with its upper at launch
- Orbit
- Highly elliptical Earth orbit above the radiation belts for long observations
- Payload
- High Resolution Mirror Assembly, ACIS imaging , HRC camera, and high- and low-energy transmission gratings
- Outcome
- Active