Maurice joins the club, certainly larger, countries that have their own satellites. If all conditions are right, its nanosatellite will be launched on June 3 or 4 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Major maneuvers have begun in Mauritius to witness this historic launch.
From our Port-Louis correspondent,
At present it is a bit visible in the local media, the preparations for the launch of the Mauritian nanosatellite mobilize all the attention from the Ministry responsible for technology and resources of the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council.
On the one hand, they are making the final adjustments to the equipment and antennas installed at Ebène Land Station, on the other hand, they are preparing an entire program to enable the population to experience this encounter with history live.
“It is a big step forward for Mauritius. MIR SAT1 enables us to regularly receive data on our exclusive economic zone, which is really very large. We will also be able to have additional meteorological data. Launching a nanosatellite will also offer opportunities for young people who want to get into space technology, explains Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Deepak Balgobin.
When it was announced in 2018, MIR SAT 1 seemed distant, even illusory. That year, the Mauritius project convinced the United Nations Office on Space Affairs and the Japan Space Research Bureau as part of the KiboCube program for developing countries.
Contribute to the country’s agricultural development
The construction of this satellite at a cost of half a million euros, just 10 centimeters thanks to the miniaturization of technology, has been entrusted to the British manufacturer ACC Clyde Space. The launch will be secured by the US company Space X and its launch into orbit by the International Space Station.
Once in service, the nanosatellite collects as a priority maritime and meteorological information in the exclusive economic zone of Mauritius before being used for the development of fisheries and agriculture.
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