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.
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS). Five complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011.
Space Shuttle Columbia (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first space-rated orbiter in NASA's Space Shuttle fleet. It launched for the first time on mission STS-1 on April 12, 1981, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program. Over 22 years of service, it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry near the end of its 28th mission, STS-107 on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.
Space Shuttle Details 
                                                            
                                                        
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                                                                    Birth: Nov. 19, 1956
                                                                
                                                                    Age:  68
                                                                
                                                            
 
                                                            
                                                        
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                                                                    Birth: June 16, 1954
                                                                
                                                                    Age:  71
                                                                
                                                            
 
                                                            
                                                        
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                                                                    Birth: Sept. 30, 1949
                                                                
                                                                    Age:  76
                                                                
                                                            
 
                                                            
                                                        
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                                                                    Birth: Dec. 14, 1960
                                                                
                                                                    Age:  64
                                                                
                                                            
 
                                                            
                                                        
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                                                                    Birth: Dec. 12, 1951
                                                                
                                                                    Age:  73
                                                                
                                                            
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
INFO WIKIData from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope combine to reveal an otherworldly view of the star-forming region IC 348. In this image released on July 23, 2025, X-rays from Chandra are red, green, and blu…
A black hole is growing at one of the fastest rates ever recorded, according to a team of astronomers. This discovery from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory may help explain how some black holes can reach enormous masses relatively quickly …
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Tenth crewed flight to the Chinese space station.
A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Gaofen is a series of civilian Earth observation satellites developed and launched for the China High-definition Earth Observation System (CHEOS), a …
First flight of the upgraded Japanese HTV-X spacecraft designed to resupply the International Space Station.
A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Second of two new-generation satellites built by Airbus to provide secure communications to the Spanish government, its allies, and various internati…
Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.
A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.