The first set of pictures received from the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) by the Indian Antenna System tracking it are of good quality, says the ECIL.

The 32-metre diameter Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) Antenna at the ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, will play a key role during acquisition of data and photographs from Mars using the 5 scientific instruments which form part of MOM’s payload.

The Antenna acquired the signal from MOM at 11.35 hrs on Wednesday, approximately 3 and half hours of reception of Radio signals at Canberra station in Australia, where the Mars Orbiter is visible over the Indian sub-continent.

The Hyderabad-based, ECIL has positioned its professionals for this Antenna System at Bylalu, 40 kms from Bangalore during the entire journey of 65 crore kms spread over a period of almost 11 months. Earlier, in the year 2008, the same Antenna was used for country’s First Lunar Mission CHANDRAYAAN-1.

The Antenna, weighing 300 tonnes and built indigenously is needed for Tracking, Telemetry and Command applications of MARS mission program of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) through ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC).

The Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), ISRO Satellite Center (ISAC) and ISTRAC also collaborated in the development, which cost Rs 65 crore. It precisely points to the MOM orbiting round Mars almost 65 crore km away from the Earth.