The Union Cabinet was informed on Friday that India and Mauritius would collaborate to construct a tiny satellite that will be launched by ISRO early next year.
During the visit of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan to Port Louis on November 1, last year, India and Mauritius signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a collaborative small satellite.
The Memorandum of Understanding would aid in the establishment of a framework for collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) on the creation of a joint satellite as well as cooperation on the usage of the ground station in the island country.
“Some of the subsystems for the joint satellite will be taken up through the participation of Indian industries and would benefit the industry,” according to a statement from the government.
It is anticipated that the satellite will be finished within 15 months.
The Union Cabinet was informed about the MoU at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to an official release, the partnership via the collaborative creation of the satellite would assist in ensuring the Mauritius government’s continued support for the Indian ground station in Mauritius, which is important for India’s launch vehicle and satellite missions.
Furthermore, the cooperative satellite construction will aid in securing MRIC assistance from their base station for ISRO’s future tiny satellite mission.
The cost of the joint satellite is projected to be Rs 20 crore, which would be financed by India.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) constructed a ground station in Mauritius in 1986 to provide monitoring and telemetry assistance for its launch vehicle and satellite operations.
The country-level agreement signed in July 2009, which replaced the 1986 accord, governs ongoing space cooperation.
Based on MRIC’s interest in collaboratively developing a small satellite for Mauritius, the Ministry of External Affairs recommended that ISRO begin negotiations on achieving an India-Mauritius cooperative spacecraft.
The MEA will pay for the development, launch, and operation of the cooperative satellite.
The Indian Space Research Organization is the country’s national space agency. It serves as the major research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), which is directly directed by India’s Prime Minister, with the Chairman of ISRO simultaneously serving as DoS’s executive. ISRO is largely in charge of space-based activities, space exploration, international space cooperation, and the development of associated technologies.
ISRO is one of only six government space organizations in the world with complete launch capabilities, cryogenic engines, the ability to launch extraterrestrial missions, and the ability to run a large fleet of artificial satellites. ISRO is one of four government space organizations with uncrewed soft landing capability.
