STS-93

STS-93
Chandra and its Inertial Upper Stage, prior to deployment from Columbia's payload bay
NamesSpace Transportation System-93
Mission typeChandra X-ray Observatory Deployment
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1999-040A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.25866
Mission duration4 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes, 34 seconds
Distance travelled2,890,000 km (1,796,000 mi)[1]
Orbits completed80
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSpace Shuttle Columbia
Launch mass122,534 kg (270,142 lb)[2]
Landing mass99,781 kg (219,980 lb)[2]
Payload mass22,780 kg (50,222 lb)[2]
Crew
Crew size5
Members
Start of mission
Launch date23 July 1999, 04:31:00 (1999-07-23UTC04:31Z) UTC[3]
Launch siteKennedy LC-39B
End of mission
Landing date28 July 1999, 03:20:35 (1999-07-28UTC03:20:36Z) UTC[3]
Landing siteKennedy SLF Runway 33
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude260 kilometres (160 mi)
Apogee altitude280 kilometres (170 mi)
Inclination28.4 degrees
Period90 minutes

Left to right: Collins, Hawley, Ashby, Tognini, Coleman
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STS-103 (96) →
 

STS-93 in 1999 marked the 95th launch of the Space Shuttle, the 26th launch of Columbia, and the 21st night launch of a Space Shuttle. Eileen Collins became the first female shuttle Commander on this flight. Its primary payload was the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

STS-93 would be Columbia's last mission until March 2002. During the interim, Columbia would be out of service for upgrading and would only fly again on STS-109. The launch was originally scheduled for 20 July, but it was aborted at T−7 seconds.[4]: 221  The successful launch of the flight occurred three days later. The payload was also the heaviest ever carried by the Space Shuttle system, at over 22.7 tonnes (25 tons).[5][6]

  1. ^ "STS-93 (95)". Shuttle Countdown Online. NASA. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "STS-93: Columbia OV102". Shuttle Press Kit. 13 July 1999. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b "International Flight No. 210: STS-93". Spacefacts.de. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  4. ^ Collins, Eileen M.; Ward, Jonathan H. (2021). Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission. New York: Arcade. ISBN 978-1-950994-05-2. OCLC 1281565457.
  5. ^ "Shuttle releases heaviest payload ever". CNN. 23 July 1999. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Heaviest payload launched - shuttle". Guinness World Records. July 1999. Retrieved 28 August 2018.

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