The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop, launch, and operate an earth observation (EO) satellite for Mauritius.
The collaboration will span 15 months. It includes the training of MRIC engineers at ISRO’s facilities in India, where these engineers will work closely with ISRO experts to design and develop the satellite platform, as well as its associated systems and primary payload.
MRIC engineers will actively participate in various milestone reviews and assembly, integration and testing (AIT) activities. This will not only enhance their skills but also facilitate the in-orbit operations of the satellite once it is launched. MRIC’s ground station will be utilised for these operations, which will be jointly carried out by both agencies.
The payload for the satellite, a multispectral imager, can capture various frequency bands of light and, when processed using appropriate software, can provide valuable data for monitoring land and sea surfaces.
In addition to the development and operation of the satellite, ISRO and MRIC aim to register the EO satellite as a recognized space object with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) space object registry. They also plan to register the satellite’s frequencies with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
MRIC is a corporate body set up in September 2019. It advises the Mauritian government on matters concerning applied research, innovation, and research and development issues.
ISRO is the space agency of India, involved in science, engineering and technology to harvest the benefits of outer space for India and mankind.
