Astrosat

Astrosat [ISRO]

After the successful performance of the satellite-borne Indian X-ray Astronomy Experiment (IXAE), launched aboard Indian IRS-P3 satellite on March 21, 1996, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has approved instrument development for a full fledged astronomy satellite, named ASTROSAT, for timing, spectral and imaging studies of celestial sources over a wide spectral band. A large number of leading astronomy research institutions in India and abroad are jointly building various instruments for the satellite.

will carry the following instruments.

• Large Area Xenon Proportional Counter (LAXPC) for Hard X-rays in the energy range of 3 – 100 keV./li>
• Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) for survey of sky in the energy range of 2 – 10 keV./li>
• Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride imager (CZT) for Hard X-rays in the energy range of 10 – 100 keV./li>
• Charge Particle Monitor (CPM) to detect high energy particles during the satellite orbital path and alert the instrumentation
• Soft X-Ray Telescope (SXT) for soft X-rays in the energy range 0.3 – 10 keV./li>
• Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) for visible rays in the energy range 350-600 nm and UV rays in the energy range 130-300 nm.

ASTROSAT will be launched into space by ISRO launcher PSLV in 2009.