KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
      FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1999 (1:02 PM EDT)
      LAUNCH DAY
      MISSION: STS-93 -- Chandra X-ray Observatory

      STS-93 images

      • VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
      • LOCATION: in orbit
      • OFFICIAL KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: July 23, 1999 at 12:31:00:04 a.m. EDT
      • TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 27, 1999 at 11:20 p.m. EDT
      • MISSION DURATION: 4 days, 23 hours
      • CREW: Collins, Ashby, Hawley, Coleman, Tognini
      • ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 153 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

      NOTE: Space Shuttle Columbia, its five astronaut crew members and the Chandra X-ray Observatory lifted off from KSC's Launch Pad 39B at 12:31 a.m. today. The launch team worked no significant technical issues and weather conditions were favorable throughout the countdown. Today Columbia embarked on its 26th flight, marking the 95th launch in Shuttle history.

      The crew will deploy the Chandra payload about 7 hours and 17 minutes after liftoff and one hour later the inertial upper stage (IUS) solid rocket motor is slated to fire. Chandra's solar arrays will be deployed at 9:24 a.m. today and IUS separation occurs at 9:43 a.m.

      NASA's two solid rocket booster recovery ships Liberty Star and Freedom Star have been on station in the Atlantic Ocean since Monday. Booster recovery operations will begin this morning and managers expect the recovery ships to arrive in Port Canaveral Saturday with boosters in tow.

      --end--

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      Author: Joel Wells / NASA Public Affairs
      Curator: Kay Grinter (kay.grinter-1@ksc.nasa.gov) / Information Dynamics, Inc.
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