Indian Deep Space Network

Introduction

The Indian Deep Space Network is established at Byalalu, a village close to Bangalore. The Network consist of a fully steerable 18m and a 32m DSN antenna which improves the visibility duration when compared with the existing ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC). The existing ISTRAC S-Band Network stations can track satellites only till the Earth Transfer Orbit (ETO) with an apogee of about 1,00,000 km. The established Indian Deep Space Network is a state of art system with its base band system adhering to Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems(CCSDS) Standards thus facilitating cross-support among the Telemetry Tracking Command (TTC) agencies.

The two antennas at The Indian Deep Space Network, Byalalu have a built in support facilities. The wheel and track 32-m antenna will be a state-of-art system. A fibre optic link will provide necessary communication link between the DSN Station and SCC / NCC/ ISSDC. The 18m antenna is capable of S-Band uplink (2 kW) and both X- Band & S-Band downlink. The system has provision to receive two downlink carriers in S-Band and two carriers in X-Band (RCP & LCP), whereas, the uplink is either RCP or LCP. It will also have a G/T of 30/39.5 dB/k (45 deg elevation, clear sky) for S/X-Band. The 32m antenna is designed to provide uplink in both S-Band and X-Band (20 kW) either through RCP or LCP. The reception capability will be in both S-Band and X-Band (simultaneous RCP & LCP). It can receive two carriers in S-Band and two carriers in X-Band. The system will have a G/T of 37.5/51 dB/k (450 elevation, clear sky) for S/X-Band. The base-band system will adhere to CCSDS Standards. The station is also equipped to control remotely from the ISTRAC Network Control Centre (NCC).

Chandrayaan

The Indian Deep Space Network was actually built to support India's first lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 and guide it towards the moon and put it in the lunar orbit, Chandrayaan-1 is going to launch between 22-26 October, 2008.This mision period is 2 years. Afterwards a second version of Chandrayaan i.e., Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled to launch in 2010/2011 which carries a Moon Rover with it.

Chandrayaan I is an unmanned lunar mission by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The mission includes a lunar orbiter as well as an impactor. The spacecraft will be launched by a modified version of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

The remote sensing satellite will weigh 1304.KG (590.KG Initial Orbit Mass and 504.KG Dry Mass) and carry high resolution remote sensing equipment for Visible, Near Infrared, Soft and Hard X-ray frequencies. Over a two-year period, it is intended to survey the lunar surface to produce a complete map of its chemical characteristics and 3-dimensional topography. The polar regions are of special interest, as they might contain water ice.

They estimate the cost of the mission is INR 3.8 billion (US$ 83 million). The mission includes five ISRO payloads and six payloads from other international space agencies such as NASA and ESA, and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency .

ee Also

* Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
* Chandrayaan
* Exploration of the Moon
* ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network
* Deep Space Network

External Links

* [http://www.isro.org/ Official ISRO website]
* [http://www.isro.org/Chandrayaan/htmls/ground_segment_spacenetwork.htm Indian Deep Space Network]
* [http://www.isro.org/Chandrayaan/htmls/home.htm Official Chandrayaan-1 Website]