Australian engineers and technicians working at the CSIRO-managed Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in regional Australia today played a critical role in confirming the successful first phase of India's Mars Orbiter Mission.
Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on its Mars Orbiter Mission, which arrived in the orbit above the red planet.
The largest antenna dish in the southern hemisphere, CDSCC's Deep Space Station 43, which has supported many important space missions, today captured the minute signals from the mission and confirmed its successful entering into orbit.
"I commend ISRO on this historic event," Mr Suckling said. "It is an important milestone for ISRO and for Indian space research and exploration.
Mr Suckling said it was an example of the expanding scientific cooperation between Australia and India.
Also Read
"I welcome Australia's and India's strengthening cooperation in space exploration," he said.
"The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex is the prime station for the mission as it relays data to mission control at ISRO's Telemetry Tracking and Command Network in Bangalore. This is a critical element of this mission."
Australia and India have a strong record of cooperation in space research and exploration, signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Civil Space Cooperation in 2012.
