Sep 27, 2015PSLV-C30 / ASTROSAT MISSION UPDATE: Countdown activities are progressing normally.PSLV-C30 / ASTROSAT MISSION UPDATE: Mobile Service Tower (MST) withdrawal to 50 m distance is completed by 15:00 hr IST. Propellant filling operation of Second Stage (PS2) is in progress.
Any live coverage?
Seeing that 3 Asian nations are going to put up new short wavelength astronomical observatories over the next few months (Astrosat, JAXA's ASTRO-H and China's HXMT), I've asked high-energy specialized astronomer and spacecraft expert Jonathan McDowell to explain their differences between them:Cosmic Penguin @Cosmic_Penguin@planet4589 Can you compare the abilities of the trio of new short-lambda observatories from Asia, ASTRO-H, Astrosat and China's HXMT?Jonathan McDowell @planet4589@Cosmic_Penguin ASTRO-H is a world class mission - not a Chandra, but more than a Swift or NuStar. (1/3)@Cosmic_Penguin Astrosat will be very useful in certain science domains, esp. quasar studies. Broad energy range but poor spatial res.@Cosmic_Penguin HXMT will be interesting as 1st hard-x-ray sky survey, but maybe a bit more limited in science return (3/3)@Cosmic_Penguin all of them doing good science; ASTRO-H cutting edge, the other two with targeted niches missed by US/Europe@Cosmic_Penguin so Astrosat looking at specific known targets that need the broad energy range; HXMT mapping at 100 keV to see what's there
The weight of Astrosat is mentioned as 1470 Kg in the article. The weight as per the brochure is 1513 Kg
Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 09/27/2015 03:57 pmSeeing that 3 Asian nations are going to put up new short wavelength astronomical observatories over the next few months (Astrosat, JAXA's ASTRO-H and China's HXMT), I've asked high-energy specialized astronomer and spacecraft expert Jonathan McDowell to explain their differences between them:Cosmic Penguin @Cosmic_Penguin@planet4589 Can you compare the abilities of the trio of new short-lambda observatories from Asia, ASTRO-H, Astrosat and China's HXMT?Jonathan McDowell @planet4589@Cosmic_Penguin ASTRO-H is a world class mission - not a Chandra, but more than a Swift or NuStar. (1/3)@Cosmic_Penguin Astrosat will be very useful in certain science domains, esp. quasar studies. Broad energy range but poor spatial res.@Cosmic_Penguin HXMT will be interesting as 1st hard-x-ray sky survey, but maybe a bit more limited in science return (3/3)@Cosmic_Penguin all of them doing good science; ASTRO-H cutting edge, the other two with targeted niches missed by US/Europe@Cosmic_Penguin so Astrosat looking at specific known targets that need the broad energy range; HXMT mapping at 100 keV to see what's thereThank you, Jonathan AND GP! This is a concise summary, on a timely subject. I was wondering myself where these 3 observatories fit into the short EM wavelength astronomy "big picture."