AstroSat – Multi-wavelength Space Observatory

By | May 2, 2025
AstroSat

On September 28, 2015, India launched AstroSat, its first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory. This remarkable mission aims to study celestial sources across X-ray, optical, and UV spectral bands simultaneously.

Here’s a more detailed overview:

Key Features and Objectives:

  • Multi-wavelength capability:

AstroSat enables simultaneous observations across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum, from ultraviolet to X-rays. 

  • Scientific Goals:

The mission’s objective is to explore high-energy processes in interacting binary systems, star birth regions, and high-energy activities in star systems far beyond our galaxy. It also intends to find new transient X-ray sources and carry out a limited deep field survey of the Universe in the ultraviolet spectrum.

  • Launch and Orbit:

Launched on September 28, 2015, by PSLV-C30 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, AstroSat was placed into a 650 km orbit with a 6-degree inclination to the equator. 

  • Scientific Payloads:

AstroSat carries five scientific payloads:

  • Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) 
    • Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) 
    • Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) 
    • Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Imager (CZTI) 
    • Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) 
  • Data Processing and Distribution:

The science data gathered by the payloads are telemetered to the ground station at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) of ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru, and then processed, archived, and distributed by the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC). 

Mission Life:

The minimum useful life of the AstroSat mission is expected to be 5 years. 

Significance:

AstroSat is India’s first-ever dedicated space astronomy observatory, which puts the country in a unique league of nations that have multi-wavelength space observatories. This mission could really boost our understanding of the universe and its mysteries. Plus, ISRO has plans to launch AstroSat-2 as a successor to the original AstroSat.

Category: General Awareness

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