AstroSat Proposal Processing System (APPS) is a mission critical software solution designed and developed by the joint efforts of Indian Space Research Organization and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. It facilitates the participation of global scientific community to submit scientificproposals for observations with India’s first multi-wavelength space observatory. The software systematizes the proposal submission and review process before the successful proposed observations are scheduled to carryout scientific observations. This paper describes the overall architecture of the system,implementation stratagems, administrative aspects and security aspects of the software. The paper also describes the techniques adopted for seamless day-to-day operations in meeting the mission requirements. As a future direction, the paper summarizes the roadmap for development of a generic multi-mission proposal handling model from the experiences gained through APPS.

AstroSat is India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 September 2015. After launch, the AstroSat Science Support Cell (ASSC) was set up as a joint venture of ISRO and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) with the primary purpose of facilitating the use of AstroSat, both for making observing proposals and for utilising archival data. The ASSC organises meetings, workshops and webinars to train users in these activities, runs a help desk to address user queries, provides utility tools and disseminatesanalysis software through a consolidated web portal. It also maintains the AstroSat Proposal Processing System (APPS) which is deployed at ISSDC, a software platform central to the workflow management of AstroSat operations. This paper illustrates the various aspects of ASSC functionality.

The ground data processing, archival and dissemination of the science data for India’s first multi wavelength astronomical spacecraft, AstroSat is carried out from Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC). The proposals submitted by users worldwide are grouped into observations and are observed inmultiple orbit segments. Large volume of data in various configurations from different payloads and the inherent diversity of data products resulting from observations had demanded intricate procedures in handling the data processing, archival and dissemination scenario at ISSDC. The paper describes the layered approach followed in implementing a software stack for establishing and operating a completely automated pipeline for data processing, archival and dissemination of astronomical data. The operations of the automated pipeline, challenges faced during the implementation and the strategies adapted to overcome them are also summarized.

AstroSat, India’s first observatory class satellite, operates as a proposal based observatory. AstroSat carries five science payloads capable of simultaneous observations in a broad energy band. In this article, we will summarize the science operations of AstroSat, AstroSat user distribution, user support available for AstroSat users and publications related to AstroSat and AstroSat data.