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[26.15] The First 20 Days of ACIS's Life after Launch

P.P. Plucinsky (SAO), ACIS-OPS Team

We describe the pivotal first 20 days of operations for the AXAF CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO). ACIS coupled with the High Resolution Mirror Assembly aboard CXO will usher in a new era of X-ray astronomy providing an unprecedented combination of angular and spectral resolution. We will step through the first moments of the mission, from launch aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, through the in-bay activities, the deployment and transfer orbit, the initial activation of the instrument, the first data collected with the CCDs, up until the first astronomical light observation. We will discuss the critical stages of this sequence which pose a threat to the instrument and our efforts to minimize these threats. We will describe the first datasets which may eventually be useful to guest observers and the astronomical community in general.

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