* Astronomy

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RE: Astrosat

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Title: Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) on ASTROSAT
Authors: Amit Kumar (1), S. K. Ghosh (2), J. Hutchings (3), P.U.Kamath (1), S.Kathiravan (1), P.K.Mahesh (1), J. Murthy (1), Nagbhushana.S (1), A.K. Pati (1), M. N.Rao (1), N. K. Rao (1), S.Sriram (1), S.N.Tandon (1,4) ((1) Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, (2) National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, TIFR, Pune, (3) NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Canada, (4) Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune)

Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope on ASTROSAT Satellite mission is a suite of Far Ultra Violet (FUV 130 to 180 nm), Near Ultra Violet (NUV 200 to 300 nm) and Visible band (VIS 320 to 550nm) imagers. ASTROSAT is the first multi wavelength mission of INDIA. UVIT will image the selected regions of the sky simultaneously in three channels and observe young stars, galaxies, bright UV Sources. FOV in each of the 3 channels is about 28 arc-minute. Targeted angular resolution in the resulting UV images is better than 1.8 arc-second (better than 2.0 arc-second for the visible channel). Two identical co-aligned telescopes (T1, T2) of Ritchey-Chretien configuration (Primary mirror of 375 mm diameter) collect celestial radiation and feed to the detector system via a selectable filter on a filter wheel mechanism; gratings are available in filter wheels of FUV and NUV channels for slit-less low resolution spectroscopy. The detector system for each of the 3 channels is generically identical. One of the telescopes images in the FUV channel, while the other images in NUV and VIS channels. Images from VIS channel are also used for measuring drift for reconstruction of images on ground through shift and add algorithm, and to reconstruct absolute aspect of the images. Adequate baffling has been provided for reducing scattered background from the Sun, earth albedo and other bright objects. One time open-able mechanical cover on each telescope also works as a Sun-shield after deployment. We are presenting here the overall (mechanical, optical and electrical) design of the payload.

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Indian astronomy satellite to study universe at multi-wavelengths

Astrosat, the $50 million astronomy satellite India will put in polar circular orbit in 2013, will study the universe at multi-wavelengths for the first time, a senior space agency official said.
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Equipment developed at University of Leicester to be handed over to Indian delegation in December

Highly specialised equipment constructed at the University of Leicester for India's first national astronomy satellite- Astrosat - is to be handed over to a delegation from India in December.
On 5th December 2011, the University of Leicester will host an event to celebrate the final visit by a team from the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, (TIFR), Mumbai, as they test one of the final pieces for Astrosat - scheduled to launch in 2012.
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Isro's Byalalu campus, 30km from Bangalore off Mysore Road, is a space powerhouse now. It has been readied to undertake India's first astronomy mission, Astrosat, under which Isro will launch the country's first dedicated astronomy satellite in 2011.
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India's Astronomy satellite, ASTROSAT, which would facilitates study of a range of astrophysical objects, is likely to be launched in mid-2010, scientists from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR) said here.
The scientists have completed the developmental phase of complex science payloads and have just begun integrating them before delivery for the 1650 kg satellite.

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India's space agency along with astronomers from across the country will launch a "unique" satellite later this year to study distant galaxies and black holes.
The Astrosat, scheduled for launch towards the end of the year, will be the country's first satellite entirely dedicated to astronomy.

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India's multi-wavelength astronomical observatory "Astrosat" will be launched in 2008 with the challenges in its design and control system being overcome, eminent astrophysicist and former ISRO chairman Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan has said.
Orbiting 600 km above the earth's surface, the Rs 200 crore Astrosat would facilitate study of astrophysical objects ranging from nearby solar system objects to distant stars and objects at cosmological distances.

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The highly sanitised X-ray optics laboratory located in a corner of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research building, in India, is teeming with activity these days.

Technicians donning protective overalls are working furiously to give the finishing touches to a project which is the first of its kind in India. Led by Dr Kulinder Pal Singh, Chairperson of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the team is building a soft X-ray telescope which will become the first Indian X-ray telescope to be put in space.

The soft X-ray telescope — that can make observations beyond the reach of an optical telescope—is one of the five payloads that will be on board Astrosat, India’s first satellite dedicated to the study of astronomy, to be launched by ISRO in 2008.

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Astrosat is currently proposed as a multiwavelength astronomy mission on an IRS-class satellite into a near-Earth, equatorial orbit by the PSLV. The 5 instruments onboard cover the UV(1000-3000 A), soft and hard x-ray regimes (0.3 - 8 keV; 2 - 100 keV).
This will be the first dedicated Indian astronomy satellite and is currently scheduled for launch in mid 2007.

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