Mumbai: In a first such initiative, a Mumbai-based institution will partner with Isro’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (Istrac) to conduct deep space exploratory observations.The Mumbai institution, Sameer (Society For Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research), and Istrac signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday.Sameer is located in the IIT Bombay campus in Powai and is an autonomous R&D laboratory under the ministry of electronics and information technology.One of the basic aims of the teamwork is to establish continued research and development activities in next generation technologies towards Isro’s futuristic deep space programmes.“The key objectives include joint research and development through collaborative projects targeting deployable solutions by leveraging combined expertise in building high power amplifier technologies for deep space communications,’’ the announcement by Sameer and Istrac stated.The role of Sameer will be to design and develop state-of-the-art high power systems, employing homegrown semiconductor technologies for deep space exploratory observations.In each ground station, high power systems are required to amplify the tele-command signal before transmitting to the satellite.The MoU was signed by Dr A K Anil Kumar, director, ISTRAC/ISRO and Dr P Hanumantha Rao, director general, SAMEER, at IIT-B.According to Sameer and Istrac, the collaboration in high-power systems with indigenously built multiple high power gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor modules, may place India on par with global space organization reducing dependency on foreign sources.
