Bharat Chandra

My research is centered on the design and development of astronomical instruments for space- and balloon-based platforms. This includes the design, development, and calibration of opto-electronic and embedded systems for space- and balloon-based payloads to meet specific scientific requirements.

I was part of the development of a UV spectrograph, SING (Spectroscopic Investigation of Nebular Gas), under the UNOOSA initiative. I was responsible for the design and development of the optical system (telescope and spectrograph) and the MCP-based photon-counting detector. My work involved the design, development, testing, and integration of the optics and detector readout subsystem. I am also interested in developing instruments for high-altitude balloon experiments.

I led the hardware and software development of a star sensor (“StarberrySense”) for a space-based astronomy mission. The instrument was flown on the PSLV-C55 mission on the PS4 Orbital Platform on 22 April 2023 and remained operational throughout the mission life.

I am currently working on the development of a radio frequency monitoring mission for RFI characterization in Earth and lunar orbits, serving as a precursor to the PRATUSH space mission.