ISRO set up antenna for Chandrayan-I mission

Dec 17:  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday has added a new 32-meter indigenous antenna in Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Byalalu, Bangalore to accomplish its planning of tracking space far and deep that would help ISRO’s first moon mission Chandrayaan-I as per tracking and sending commands to ISRO’s control room, confirmed ISRO official on Dec 15.

ISRO is planning for stepping towards moon via launching its two ambitious moon mission Chandrayaan-I and Chandrayaan-II. Chandrayan-I mission is scheduled to be launched on April 9, 2008 while Chandrayan-II is intended in 2011-12 as per ISRO official informed to press. Now India has successfully joined the elite group of China, Japan, Russia, European Union and the United States as per self supporting setting up a giant antenna at IDSN for getting more accurate signal and commands.

“We have now demonstrated our self-sufficiency in tracking and managing our own data. The IDSN will track all forthcoming deep space missions,” said S K Shivkumar, Director, ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) while interacting to media here.

ISRO is also seeking for ‘commercial opportunity’ in future as express Shivkumar. “As the facility is of world standard it can be used by international space agencies as well”, said Shivkumar. “The purpose of this mission is to get accurate maps and to detect its mineralogical composition, polar ice and the presence of Helium-3” added ISTRAC director.

The scientists have chosen Byalalu for specific purpose of continuous tracking of Chandrayaan moon mission-I that is 40 km far from Bangalore urban area and completely safe from the population and traffic. “A branch of Indian Space Data Centre will also been established here to store the all receiving data”, said Shivkumar.

“The process of testing will begin now. We will have a third, 11-metre antenna here, to track Astrosat, a multi-wavelength scientific satellite, to be launched in 2009” said Shivkumar.

“This 32-metre antenna has joined an 18-metre antenna installed in 2006 on the 135-acre IDSN. The estimating cost of the Chandrayaan mission is Rs. 386 crore inclusive DSN setting up cost that is Rs.100 crore”, he said.

Describing the function of this gigantic antenna Shivkumar said, “The antenna moves at a lower speed of 0.01 millidegrees per second, and at an upper speed of 0.4 millidegrees per second, with a vertical manoeuvrability of 90 degrees and capacity to rotate 270 degrees. This antenna is able to catch and send the signals of space and lunar despite of being 4,00,000 km far from the earth, while 18-meter wide German-made antenna is capable to probe up to 1,00,000 km far. Both the antennae will be operated from ISTRAC, located at Peenya.”

In the coming four years India is planning to land robotic equipment on moon with the help of foreign countries to pierce the icy lunar surface and analysing for minerals and fuel sources.

According to M. Annadurai, Chandrayaan-1 project director, “Chandrayaan-II mission will be a two-week probe while Chandrayaan-1 has taken two-years to accomplish mission of orbiting the moon.”

Indian will launch its first moon mission with the help of NASA (USA), the European Space Agency and JAXA (Japan) while Russia will help India in the second moon mission as per officially informed to media.