Astro was a Space Shuttle-borne ultraviolet observatory that consists of three ultraviolet instruments: the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope for imaging in the spectral range 120–310 nanometers (nm), the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope for spectrophotometry in the range 43–185 nm, and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photopolarimetry Experiment for spectropolarimetry in the range 125–320 nm. Astro, which has a mass of about 12 tons, is attached to and controlled from the Shuttle throughout its mission.

 

Astro-1 also gathered X-ray data in the 0.3–12 keV range using the Broad Band X-ray Telescope (BBXRT). Astro-2 featured a Guest Observer Program but did not carry the BBXRT.

 

spacecraft	deployment date	shuttle mission	orbit
Astro-1	Dec 2, 1990	STS-35	190 km × 28°
Astro-2	Mar 2, 1995	STS-67	187 km × 28°