The Chandra X-ray Observatory as it may appear about 50,000 miles from Earth. - stock illustration

The Chandra X-ray Observatory as it may appear at about 50,000 miles from the Earth, nearly twice as high as Earth-orbiting geosynchronous satellites. In this image the Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals its objective lens which focuses high-energy X-ray photons by means of four layers of long nested metal mirrors oriented obliquely to the X-ray source. These mirrors constitute most of the length of Chandras 45-foot-long tapered tube shape with science instruments capping far end for analyzing the focused X-rays. The concentric rings at the near end of the telescope are the opening through which the X-rays enter the mirror assembly. The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the worlds most powerful X-ray telescope, and at a weight of over 5 tons (10 tons including the detachable booster rocket) was the heaviest payload ever delivered into orbit by the Space Shuttle. The Chandra X-ray Observatory is 45 feet long with a solar panel wingspan of 64 feet.