An overview of the proposed Indian spectroscopic and imaging space telescope

Abstract

India reached a major milestone in the area of space astronomy with the successful launch and postlaunch operations of its first space observatory, AstroSat. The success of this space observatory and the lessons learned must be utilized effectively to enlarge the footprint of Indian space astronomy in the international scene. In response to a call for proposals by the Indian Space Research Organization, a detailed proposal for a next generation UV-optical mission, the Indian spectroscopic and imaging space telescope (INSIST) was submitted. Combining a large focal area with a simple and efficient optical design, INSIST is expected to produce HST-quality imaging and moderate resolution spectra of astronomical sources. The main science drivers for this mission span a wide range of topics, starting from evolution of galaxies in groups and clusters, chemo-dynamics and demographics of the nearby Universe, stellar systems with accretions, to stars with planetary systems and to cosmology near and far. The proposal was awarded seed funding and has completed two years of pre-project phase. An overview of this proposed mission is presented here along with the current status.