Chandra X-ray Observatory is an artificial satellite equipped with an X-ray telescope and two cameras. It can produce images that are 25 times sharper than pictures taken with previous X-ray telescopes. Its focusing power is equivalent to the ability to read a stop sign from a distance of 12 miles (20 kilometers). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched Chandra from the space shuttle Columbia on July 23, 1999.