Chandra X-ray Observatory

CXO, Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, AXAF

Mission Profile

Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO, AXAF) is NASA's flagship X-ray space telescope, launched on 23 July 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia and boosted to a highly elliptical orbit reaching one-third of the distance to the Moon. One of NASA's four Great Observatories, Chandra's high-resolution X-ray mirrors produce images 25 times sharper than any previous X-ray telescope, revealing the hot, high-energy universe at its finest detail — from supernova remnants and neutron stars to black holes at galactic centers and the hot gas permeating galaxy clusters. Key Chandra discoveries include the first evidence of a black hole event horizon, mapping of dark matter in the Bullet Cluster galaxy collision, and high-resolution spectra of stellar coronae and X-ray binaries. Operating far beyond its planned 5-year lifetime, Chandra continues producing frontier science after 25 years in orbit.