Chandra: Exploring deep space with X-ray astronomy

Launched in 1999, the Chandra X-ray Observatory has been a vital tool in detecting distant black holes, supernovas and galaxy clusters that normal telescopes can't see. The telescope, which orbits 86,500 miles above the Earth, is just one of the countless examples of the long history between NASA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT had a major hand in developing the instrumentation for Chandra, and astronaut and MIT alumnus Catherine G. "Cady" Coleman deployed the telescope into orbit in July of 1999. 

Since then, Chandra has been at the forefront of X-Ray astronomy, with a seemingly endless stream of new discoveries being transmitted everyday to the Chandra X-Ray Center at the Smithsonian's Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass. 

In this slideshow, Chandra Media Director Megan Watzke discusses the importance of the project

Click here for a timeline of NASA and MIT collaborations.