The first pictures received from Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) were through 32-metre diameter antenna system built by the Hyderabad-based Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and stationed at Bylalu, 40 km away from Bangalore.
The Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antenna will play a vital role during acquisition of data and graphs from Mars using the five scientific instruments which form part of MOM’s payload, according to scientists of ECIL. The antenna is needed for tracking, telemetry and command applications of Mars mission programme of ISRO through ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC).
The acquisition of the signal from MOM by the IDSN Antenna at Bylalu occurred at 11.35 a.m. on Wednesday approximately after about 3 ½ hrs of reception of radio signals at Canberra station in Australia, when the Mars Orbiter was visible over the Indian sub-continent.
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The antenna weighs about 300 tonnes and was built indigenously at a cost of about Rs. 65 crore in association with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, ISRO Satellite Center and ISTRAC.