Space Shuttle Columbia OV-102 | STS-93
United Space Alliance · Space Shuttle · Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
United Space Alliance's 13th launch · 1st this year · humanity's 4,331st orbital launch attempt
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Window: Jul 23, 04:31 – Jul 23, 04:31 UTC
Flight preview
STS-93
STS-93 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.
Astrophysics · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Crew
Steven HawleyMission Specialist · NASA
Michel TogniniMission Specialist · ESA
Eileen CollinsCommander · NASA
Catherine ColemanMission Specialist · NASA
Jeffrey AshbyPilot · NASA
Booster
No booster details available.
Watch
- STS-93 launch (7-23-99) — 3210andLiftoff
News
NASA’s Chandra and IXPE Study Pulsar in Lighthouse Nebula
This composite image, released on July 9, 2026, shows the region around a pulsar – a neutron star with a strong magnetic field that spins incredibly fast – within the Lighthouse nebula. The image contains X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory in purple, X-rays from NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) in blue, and […]
NASA’s Chandra Examines Milky Way at Arms’ Length
A new result using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory shows that the outer spiral arms in the Milky Way galaxy may reach wider than previously thought. This finding may lead astronomers to adjust their understanding of our home galaxy’s structure. A team of astronomers made this discovery by making precise measurements of distances to dust clouds […]
NASA’s Chandra Reveals ‘Red, White, Blue’ Universe for US 250th
In celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States, NASA has unveiled four cosmic images from its Chandra X-ray Observatory rendered in red, white, and blue that represent the wonders of the universe the agency explores. The images are accompanied by a trio of new sonifications – a technique that translates astronomical data into […]
NASA’s Chandra Finds Possible Supernova Remnant
Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers may have found a supernova remnant – seen in this June 11, 2026, image – in an intriguing neighborhood in the middle of the Milky Way galaxy. Supernova remnants are the expanding remains of exploded stars and provide elements like iron, oxygen, and silicon that are critical […]
NASA’s Chandra Finds Unexpected Fireworks in Aftermath of Stellar Explosions
The aftermath of a supernova, a stellar explosion, is usually a slowly fading cloud of hot gas. So when astronomers pointed NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory at the nearby galaxy Messier 83 (M83), they did not expect to find a population of supernova remnants, or the debris from these explosions, showing dramatic changes in their brightness. […]
NASA’s Chandra Discovers Possible Supernova Remnant in Galactic Center
Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers may have found a supernova remnant in an intriguing neighborhood in the middle of our galaxy. A paper describing these new findings published in The Astrophysical Journal. Supernova remnants are the expanding remains of exploded stars and provide elements – like iron, oxygen, and silicon – that […]
