ASTROSAT set for Sep 28 launch

ASTROSAT, satellite for the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying celestial objects, is scheduled for launch on September 28, a senior Indian Space Research Organisation official today said.

"The satellite is scheduled for launch on board the launch vehicle PSLV C-30, on September 28 morning 10 am," Director, Public Relations, ISRO, Deviprasad Karnik told PTI.

He said "now the vehicle assembly is almost completed; along with ASTROSAT there will be six co-passengers -- one satellite each from Indonesia and Canada, and four nano satellites from the US. These satellites have already arrived and those preparations are going on."

These six satellites are meant for maritime surveillance.
ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) had transported ASTROSAT to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, using a specially-designed Satellite Transportation System (STS) on August 16.

The mission is capable of performing observations in ultra-violet (UV), optical, low and high-energy X-ray wavebands at the same time, ISRO had earlier said.

It had said ASTROSAT is the first mission to be operated as a space observatory by ISRO.
ASTROSAT carries four X-ray payloads, one UV telescope and a charge particle monitor.
Apart from ISRO, four other Indian institutions -- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics and Raman Research Institute -- are involved in payload development.

Two of the payloads are in collaboration with Canadian Space Agency and University of Leiscester, UK, ISRO had said.