
In the Space Shuttle Main Engine Facility, , STS-93 crew members listen to Site Director Dan Hausman, with Rocketdyne, while looking over the main engine of the Space Shuttle Columbia. From left, they are Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialists Michel Tognini of France, who represents the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman, Commander Eileen Collins and Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley. STS-93, scheduled to launch July 9 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, has the primary mission of the deployment of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Formerly called the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, Chandra comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the science instrument module (SIM), and the world's most powerful X-ray telescope. Chandra will allow scientists from around the world to see previously invisible black holes and high-temperature gas clouds, giving the observatory the potential to rewrite the books on the structure and evolution of our universe
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
NASA ID
KSC-99pc0181
Date Created
February 9, 1999
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.
Medium
960px