AstroSat is India’s first multi-wavelength space observatory. ISRO launched it on 28 September 2015 by PSLV-C30 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, and placed it in a 650 km circular orbit. On 28 September 2025, it completed 10 years in orbit, making it an important current-affairs marker for India’s space-science capability.
The mission’s core feature is its ability to observe celestial objects simultaneously in ultraviolet, optical, low-energy X-ray and high-energy X-ray wavebands. For exam preparation, this point is useful because it helps distinguish a space observatory from a general-purpose satellite. AstroSat has contributed to the study of pulsars, black holes, neutron stars and distant galaxies. It has supported more than 1,600 research publications, showing that it is not only a technological milestone but also a long-running platform for scientific research.
For static GK, AstroSat links with ISRO, PSLV, space science and astronomy. In prelims, questions can directly test its launch date, launch vehicle, observatory nature and wavelength coverage. In mains, it can be used as an example of India’s indigenous space capability, scientific research ecosystem and institutional continuity in space science. Its detection of ultraviolet light from a galaxy 9.3 billion light-years away further shows the scientific value of the mission.