PSLV rocket lofts India’s Eye in the Sky

India’s first dedicated astronomy satellite, AstroSat, was launched into a low Earth orbit on Monday atop the country’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. Along with six foreign satellites, AstroSat lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:00 local time (04:30 UTC). PSLV Launch: India’s AstroSat spacecraft is the country’s first spacecraft dedicated to astronomical research – although India has previously conducted astronomical studies through payloads hosted on its other satellites and multi-purpose spacecraft such as its first satellite, Aryabhata, which carried an astronomical payload in addition to technology demonstration and ionospheric research objectives when it launched forty years ago. More

(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Sep 28)