AstroSat at 10: India’s Multi-Wavelength Space Observatory
Why in the news
ISRO’s AstroSat observatory marked a decade in space, having worked well beyond the five years it was planned for.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launch date | 28 September 2015 |
| Rocket and site | PSLV-C30, Satish Dhawan Space Centre |
| Operator | ISRO |
| Type | Multi-wavelength space observatory |
| Orbit | Near-equatorial low Earth orbit |
| Planned life | 5 years; now beyond 10 |
Instruments
- UVIT: Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope.
- LAXPC: Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter.
- CZTI: Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager.
- SXT: Soft X-ray Telescope.
Contributions
- Studies of distant galaxies, black holes and neutron stars.
- Observes across ultraviolet, visible and X-ray bands.
Exam angle
- Launch vehicle: PSLV-C30.
- Instrument full forms: UVIT, LAXPC, CZTI, SXT.
- Orbit type: near-equatorial LEO.