India’s Astrosat space observatory undergoing pre-launch tests

India's first dedicated space observatory that will study deep space data about stars, galaxies and black holes, is fully assembled and ready for intense testing ahead of its launch later this year.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), which has completed the assembly of the 1,650-kg space mission, will now carry out intense testing to ensure the mission's five-year orbit around Earth.

Astrosat, which is similar to NASA's Hubble, is the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying distant celestial objects. The mission is capable of performing observations in ultraviolet (UV), optical, low and high energy X-ray wavebands at the same time.

The satellite is planned to be launched during the second half of 2015 using a PSLV C-34 to a 650 km near equatorial orbit around the Earth.

Astrosat is the first mission to be operated as a space observatory by Isro.
 
''All the payloads and sub-systems are integrated to the satellite. Mechanical fit checks of the satellite with PSLV payload adaptor were performed successfully. Last week, the spacecraft was fully assembled and switched on.

''Spacecraft parameters are normal, which indicates everything is functioning well. In the coming days, the spacecraft will undergo several environmental tests like electromagnetic interference (EMI), electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), thermal vacuum, vibration, acoustic tests before shipment to Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

Astrosat carries four X-ray payloads, one UV telescope and a charge particle monitor. Apart from Isro, four other Indian institutions, viz, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and Raman Research Institute (RRI) are involved in payload development. 

Two of the payloads are in collaboration with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and University of Leiscester (UoL), UK.

The observatory was built by Bangalore-based Isro Satellite Centre (ISAC) and once launched, India hopes to join the elite club of space explorers like the US, Europe, Russia and Japan with the independent space exploratory mission.

Astrosat would also be the first of its kind with the ability to scan the sky in variable frequencies from ultraviolet to optical and low to high energy X-ray bands, said Isro.