NASA's newest space telescope, the Chandra X-ray
Observatory, will allow scientists from around the world to
obtain unprecedented X-ray images and spectra of violent,
high-temperature events and objects to help us better
understand the structure and evolution of our universe.
It will also serve as a unique tool to study detailed physics
in a unique laboratory -- the universe itself , one that
cannot be replicated here on Earth.
Managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Ala., Chandra is a sophisticated, state-of-the-art
instrument that represents a tremendous technological advance
in X-ray astronomy.
Did you know?
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The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the world's most
powerful X-ray telescope. It has eight-times greater
resolution and will be able to detect sources more than
20-times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope.
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The Chandra X-ray Observatory, with its Inertial Upper
Stage and support equipment, is the largest and heaviest
payload ever launched by the Space Shuttle.
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The Chandra X-ray Observatory's operating orbit takes
it 200-times higher than the Hubble Space Telescope. During
each orbit of the Earth, Chandra travels one-third of the
way to the Moon.
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The Chandra X-ray Observatory's resolving power is
, 0.5 arc-seconds -- equal to the ability to read the
letters of a stop sign at a distance of 12 miles. Put
another way, Chandra's resolving power is equivalent
to the ability to read a 1-centimeter newspaper headline at
the distance of a half-mile.
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If the State of Colorado were as smooth as the surface of
the Chandra X-ray Observatory mirrors, Pike's Peak
would be less than an inch tall.
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Another of NASA's incredible time machines, the
Chandra X-ray Observatory will be able to study some
quasars as they were 10 billion years ago.
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The Chandra X-ray Observatory will observe X-rays from
clouds of gas so vast that it takes light more than
five-million years to go from one side to the other.
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Although nothing can escape the incredible gravity of a
black hole, not even light, the Chandra X-ray Observatory
will be able to study particles up to the last millisecond
before they are sucked inside.
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It took almost four centuries to advance from
Galileo's first telescope to NASA's Hubble Space
Telescope — an increase in observing power of about a
half-billion times. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
is about one-billion times more powerful than the first
X-ray telescope, and we have made that leap in slightly
more than three decades.
Chandra Mission at a Glance:
Chandra X-ray Observatory Mission Duration
Chandra science mission
|
Approx. 5 yrs
|
Orbital Activation & Checkout period
|
Approx. 2 mos
|
Orbital Data
Inclination
|
28.5 degrees
|
Altitude at apogee
|
86,487 sm
|
Altitude at perigee
|
5,999 sm
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Orbital period
|
64 hrs
|
Observing time per orbital period
|
Up to 55 hrs
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Dimensions
Length , (Sun shade open)
|
45.3'
|
Length , (Sun shade closed
|
38.7'
|
Width , (Solar arrays deployed)
|
64.0'
|
Width , (Solar arrays stowed)
|
14.0'
|
Weights
Dry
|
10,560 lbs
|
Propellant
|
2,153 lbs
|
Pressurant
|
10 lbs
|
Total at launch
|
12,930 lbs
|
Integral Propulsion System
Liquid Apogee Engines
|
4 engines
(Only 2 used at a time)
|
Fuel
|
Hydrazine
|
Oxidizer
|
Nitrogen tetroxide
|
Thrust per engine
|
105 lbs
|
Electrical Power
Solar Arrays
|
2 arrays
3 panels each
|
Power generated
|
2,350 watts
|
Electrical power storage
|
3 batteries
40-amp-hour
nickel hydrogen
|
Communications
Antennas
|
2 low-gain antennas
|
Communication links
|
Shuttle Payload Interrogator
Deep Space Network
|
Command link
|
2 kbs per second
|
Data downlink
|
32 kbs to 1024 kbs
|
On-board Data Capture
Method
|
Solid-state recorder
|
Capacity
|
1.8 gbs
16.8 hrs
|
High Resolution Mirror Assembly
Configuration
|
4 sets of nested,
grazing incidence
paraboloid/hyperboloid
mirror pairs
|
Mirror Weight
|
2,093 lbs
|
Focal length
|
33 ft
|
Outer diameter
|
4 ft
|
Length
|
33.5 in
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Material
|
Zerodur
|
Coating
|
600 angstroms of iridium
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Attitude Control & Pointing
Reaction wheels
|
6
|
Inertial reference units
|
2
|
Aspect camera
|
1.40 deg x 1.40 deg fov
|
Science Instruments
Charged Coupled Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS)
|
High Resolution Camera (HRC)
|
High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG)
|
Low Energy Transmission Grating (LETG)
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The Inertial Upper Stage
Dimensions
Length
|
17.0'
|
Diameter
|
9.25'
|
Weights
Stage 1 , Dry
|
2,566 lbs
|
Stage 1 , Propellant
|
19,621 lbs
|
Stage 1 - Total
|
22,187 lbs
|
Stage 2 , Dry
|
2,379 lbs
|
Stage 2 , Propellant
|
6,016 lbs
|
Stage 2 - Total
|
8,395 lbs
|
Total Inertial Upper Stage , At launch
|
30,582 lbs
|
Performance
Thrust , Stage 1
|
46,198 lbs, average
|
Burn Duration , Stage 1
|
125 seconds
|
Thrust , Stage 2
|
16,350 lbs, average
|
Burn Duration , Stage 2
|
117 seconds
|
Support Equipment
Weights
Airborne Support Equipment
|
5,365 lbs
|
Other
|
1,285 lbs
|
Total Support Equipment
|
6,650 lbs
|
Total Payload
Weight
Total Chandra/IUS/Support
equipment at liftoff
|
50,162 lbs
|
Length
FS-1999-09-111-MSFC
August 1999
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