diff --git a/Cattery/Scripter/scripter.10calibration.funcs b/Cattery/Scripter/scripter.10calibration.funcs
index 3a4a712..a623874 100644
--- a/Cattery/Scripter/scripter.10calibration.funcs
+++ b/Cattery/Scripter/scripter.10calibration.funcs
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ end
 src='${SSCCM}'
 # helper function to take center quadrant
 qq=lambda x:x[0,0,x.shape[2]/4:-x.shape[2]/4,x.shape[3]/4:-x.shape[3]/4]
-import pyfits
+import astropy.io.fits as pyfits
 cc = qq(pyfits.open('$model.fits')[0].data); 
 di = qq(pyfits.open('%s-dirty.fits'%src)[0].data);
 ri = qq(pyfits.open('$residual.fits')[0].data);
@@ -486,4 +486,4 @@ end
       $TIGGER_CONVERT $LSM $LSM -f --remove-source "$srcname*" --add-brick $srcname:${SSCCM}-cc.fits:$pad${_dE}brick
     fi
   done
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/EMSSVoltageBeam.py b/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/EMSSVoltageBeam.py
index 194832f..001b706 100644
--- a/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/EMSSVoltageBeam.py
+++ b/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/EMSSVoltageBeam.py
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ def grid (self,lgrid,mgrid,freqgrid):
   c = vb.interpolate(l,l.T,freq=freq,freqaxis=2);
   
   # create FITS file
-  import pyfits;
+  import astropy.io.fits as pyfits;
   x = abs(c.transpose());
   hdu = pyfits.PrimaryHDU(x);
   hdr = hdu.header;
diff --git a/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/InterpolatedBeams.py b/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/InterpolatedBeams.py
index b0f8e39..fe50b1b 100644
--- a/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/InterpolatedBeams.py
+++ b/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/InterpolatedBeams.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import os.path
 import math
 import numpy
-import pyfits
+import astropy.io.fits as pyfits
 from scipy.ndimage import interpolation
 from scipy import interpolate
 
diff --git a/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/emss2fits.py b/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/emss2fits.py
index ded494d..8cd8427 100755
--- a/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/emss2fits.py
+++ b/Cattery/Siamese/OMS/emss_beams/emss2fits.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
   # if template FITS file is provided, get l/m/frequency grid from there
   l0 = m0 = freq = None;
   
-  import pyfits
+  import astropy.io.fits as pyfits
   if options.template:
     ff = pyfits.open(options.template);
     hdr = ff[0].header;
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 6946bf4..2d01aeb 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ RUN docker-apt-install \
     casacore-tools \
     casarest \
     python-pip \
-    python-pyfits \
+    python-astropy \
     python-numpy \
     python-scipy \
     python-astlib \
@@ -75,4 +75,4 @@ WORKDIR /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/Pyxis/recipies/meqtrees-batch-tes
 RUN python2.7 -m "nose"
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["meqtree-pipeliner.py"]
-CMD ["--help"]
\ No newline at end of file
+CMD ["--help"]
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 3672153..4b99463 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
+astropy
 numpy
 Purr
-pyfits
 pyrap
 scipy
 Timba
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2c181a2..45f7156 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def fullsplit(path, result=None):
 
 
 setup(name='meqtrees_cattery',
-      version='1.7.2',
+      version='1.7.3',
       python_requires='>=3.0.0',
       description='MeqTrees-based frameworks for simulation and calibration of radio interferometers ',
       author='Oleg Smirnov',