At KSC: Preparing Chandra for Launch

    As a member of the spacecraft prime contractor's launch support team, I was sent to Cape Canaveral to help prepare the Chandra X-ray telescope for launch. After 5 years of hard work, lots of overtime and far too much stress from a tight schedule, we got her down to the cape; ship shape and ready to fly. Throughout her preflight systems testing, Chandra performed like a champ.
    These snap shots are some of those I took during my 6 months at the cape. They're nothing like the professional ones you'll find at the links listed at the bottom of this page, but you might enjoy them anyway. As I get more pictures converted to digital format, I'll post them.
 
Yours truly, standing on pad 39B with Columbia in the background.
It's an awesome feeling to be standing next to the real thing.
Chandra is safely tucked away in the shuttle bay, going through final testing.

One shot I neglected to get was of the huge main engines, up close.


Some of our motley I&T crew getting a look at the shuttle.
Actually, they're great guys and did a super job
of getting Chandra integrated into the shuttle.
 
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That's pad 39A in the distance
Looking up at the left SRB.
.
That's one big bottle rocket.
Solid propellant packed into a thin metal shell.
 
Inside, working my way up, past the IUS to get to Chandra.
(Dr. No in a bunny suit.)
The white object with all the bolts in it is part of the exposed IUS.
          Finished my inspection of the ordnance connections.
Equipment compartment of Chandra,
covered in the gold colored MLI (multi-layered-insulation).
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

      2 views of the tube,  tucked into the shuttle bay. 
 


 



That's all for now. More to follow.

All photos copyright © Gary Vennie 2000
Chandra links:
    http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/payload/missions/axaf/video.html
     http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/axaf/sts93.html
     http://chandra.harvard.edu/index.html
     http://www.dransom.com/sts93.html