Watch the Launch

STS-93

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Astrophysics

Low Earth Orbit Launch Complex 39B Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

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.

Space Shuttle

Family:
Configuration:

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.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    56.1 m
  • Diameter
    8.0 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    2030.0 T
  • Thrust
    28200.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Space Shuttle
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Space Shuttle
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $450000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    27500.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Space Shuttle Columbia


In-active Human Rated Crew On-board: 5 Crew Capacity: 7 Payload Capacity: 27500 kg
Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Serial Number: OV-102

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

Crew


Eileen Collins

Commander - configurations.Country.None - ( NASA )

Status: Retired

Date of Birth: Nov. 19, 1956
Age: 68

Jeffrey Ashby

Pilot - configurations.Country.None - ( NASA )

Status: Retired

Date of Birth: June 16, 1954
Age: 71

Michel Tognini

Mission Specialist - configurations.Country.None - ( ESA )

Status: Retired

Date of Birth: Sept. 30, 1949
Age: 76

Catherine Coleman

Mission Specialist - configurations.Country.None - ( NASA )

Status: Retired

Date of Birth: Dec. 14, 1960
Age: 64

Steven Hawley

Mission Specialist - configurations.Country.None - ( NASA )

Status: Retired

Date of Birth: Dec. 12, 1951
Age: 73

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA)

Acting Administrator: James Free Founded: 1958 Successes: 121 Failures: 20 Pending: 5

Agency Type:

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 WIKI

Related News

NASA

IC Stars

Data 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…

NASA

NASA’s Chandra Finds Black Hole With Tremendous Growth

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 …

NASA

An Eye-catching Star Cluster

Westerlund 1, the biggest and closest “super” star cluster to Earth, dazzles in this image released on July 23, 2025. This view combines x-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (in pink, blue, purple, and orange), infrared data fr…

SpaceNews

House appropriators offer support to threatened NASA missions

House appropriators offered support, but no specific funding, for several NASA missions slated for cancellation in the administration’s 2026 budget proposal. The post House appropriators offer support to threatened NASA missions appeared …

NASA

NASA’s Chandra Reveals Star’s Inner Conflict Before Explosion

The inside of a star turned on itself before it spectacularly exploded, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Today, this shattered star, known as the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, is one of the best-known, well…

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Launch Complex 39B


Atlas V 551
Success
19 hours, 12 minutes ago
ViaSat-3 F2 (ViaSat-3 EMEA)
Space Launch Complex 41 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

The ViaSat-3 is a series of three Ka-band satellites is expected to provide vastly superior capabilities in terms of service speed and flexibility fo…


New Glenn
Success
1 day, 1 hour ago
EscaPADE
Launch Complex 36A - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Second flight of Blue Origin's New Glenn launch vehicle carrying the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE), a dual-spacecr…


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 18 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-87
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Ceres-1
Failure
4 days, 18 hours ago
Jilin-1 High Resolution-04C and others
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Earth Observation satellite for the Jilin-1 commercial constellation. Other payloads: * Jilin-1 Platform-02A-04 * Zhongbei University-1


Long March 12
Success
4 days, 19 hours ago
SatNet LEO Group 13
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. …


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 14 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-51
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Kinetica 1
Success
5 days, 18 hours ago
Chutian-2 01 & 02
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2 satellites built by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) for testing operations of Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellites f…


Long March 11
Success
6 days, 1 hour ago
Shiyan 32 01-03
Oriental Spaceport mobile launch ship - Sea Launch

3 Chinese satellites reported to be for "orbital technological testing" purposes. Actual usage not known.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 11-14
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 6-81
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.