Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) under the Department of Atomic Energy entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bangalore, for the development of 18-meter antenna for Indian Deep Space Network.

At a function held in Bangalore, ECIL CMD P Sudhakar and ISTRAC Director KVVSSSR Anjaneyulu signed the MOU which will facilitate ISRO and ECIL to jointly work for the indigenous design and realisation of the antenna systems for the upcoming missions like Aditya, Chandrayaan-2 and Mars Orbiter-2.

The ECIL has earlier indigenously built a 32-meter Deep Space Network antenna in close association with ISTRAC and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to provide telemetry tracking and command support for Chandrayaan-1 Mission and Mars Orbiter Mission -1.

The 18-meter antenna presently taken up for development shall have simultaneous transmit and receive capability and will be installed at ISDN campus in Bylalu near Bangalore, a press release said.