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1991 - 1999

The Later Days of AXAF-Chandra. 1991 - 1999. 40 Years of X-ray Astronomy Workshop in honor of Gordon Garmire's 70th birthday. June 14-15, 2007 Harvey Tananbaum. AXAF RESTRUCTURING: Jan 1992 - Aug 1992. Driven by tight budgets, projected costs of Station and other science missions

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1991 - 1999

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  1. The Later Days of AXAF-Chandra 1991 - 1999 40 Years of X-ray Astronomy Workshop in honor of Gordon Garmire's 70th birthday June 14-15, 2007 Harvey Tananbaum

  2. AXAF RESTRUCTURING: Jan 1992 - Aug 1992 • Driven by tight budgets, projected costs of Station and other science missions • Driven by Charlie Pellerin - Director of Astrophysics Division at NASA HQ • Players included HQ, MSFC, AXAF SWG, TRW, ... • Costs of servicing HST becoming apparent - exceed costs to build and launch • Meetings, conference calls, trades - cost, schedule, and science capability • Considered at least 18 options over the Jan-June time-frame • Baseline + 11 M' options in LEO with 4 or 6 mirror pairs and 2 or 3 SIs - rejected on basis of cost (all but 1 included servicing) or schedule, or loss of science • 4 options in HEO with 1-3 mirror pairs and 1-2 SIs (no servicing) - issues with costs, schedule, and esp science • Agreed on option with 2 missions: AXAF-I in HEO (3 or 4 mirror pairs) & 2 SIs (plus gratings) and AXAF-S in LEO with foil optics & micro-calorimeter

  3. Polishing a CXO Mirror Shell at HDOS

  4. Cleaning and Coating Mirror Shells at OCLI

  5. CXO Mirror Fabrication at EK

  6. XRCF Aerial View

  7. Deconvolved Image of Full HRMA

  8. ACIS

  9. ACIS at XRCF

  10. Optical Bench at TRW

  11. CXO Telescope Assembly at TRW

  12. Integration of ISIM to OB

  13. Thermal Vacuum Test at TRW

  14. Spacecraft Rollout at TRW

  15. Launch Delays

  16. AXAF Becomes Chandra Mrs. Chandrasekhar with contest winners Jatila van der Veen (center) and Tyrel Johnson

  17. Delivery of Chandra to Columbia on Pad 39-B

  18. Chandra in Orbiter Bay at KSC

  19. STS-93 Crew • July 20 - launch aborted due to possible fuel leak • July 22 - launch canceled due to nearby thunderstorms • L+5s - short circuit disabled computers controlling 2 of 3 engines • L+? - plug patch blows out, punches small holes and creates small fuel leak • Columbia returns - Shuttles grounded for several months

  20. Columbia Ready to Launch

  21. Chandra Launch

  22. Chandra Winging Skyward

  23. Deployment of Chandra on July 23, 1999

  24. Deployment of Chandra Continues

  25. Columbia Moves Away from Chandra

  26. Reaching High Earth Orbit via IUS and IPS

  27. Time-line for Key Activation Events 07/23/99 Launch Chandra/IUS Deploy Inertial Upper Stage Burns 1 & 2 Solar Array Deploy IUS/Chandra Separation 07/24/99 Integral Propulsion (IPS) Burn 1 07/25/99 IPS Burn 2 07/26/99 HRC Door Open 07/31/99 IPS Burn 3 08/04/99 IPS Burn 4 08/07/99 IPS Burn 5 08/08/99 ACIS Door Opening Sequence 08/11/99 Aft Contamination Cover Open 08/12/99 Sunshade Door Open First X-ray Image (Leon X-1) Aspect Camera First Star Solution 08/17/99 Safe Mode #1 08/19/99 Recover from Safe Mode #1 08/19/99 ACIS First Light (Cas A) 08/30/99 HETG First Light 09/05/99 LETG First Light

  28. Team Members at OCC During First IPS Burn

  29. MSFC Management Team after 3rd IPS Burn

  30. Gordon Garmire & Martin Weisskopf Celebrate First ACIS Image

  31. Image of Leon X-1

  32. Team at OCC for Official First Light

  33. First Light

  34. Cas A

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