The satellite was designed by a team of Mauritian Engineers and an experienced Radio Amateur from the Mauritius Amateur Radio Society in collaboration with experts from AAC-Clyde Space UK. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) awarded the nation the opportunity to build and deploy a 1U Cube Satellite through the International Space Station (ISS). In February, MIR-SAT1 was handed over to JAXA to be deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) “KiboCUBE” on the ISS.
NanoSatellite MIR-SAT1 is a Mauritian project consisting of the design, assembly, testing, deployment and operating of a 1U CubeSat on orbit. In parallel, MRIC will set up a ground station located at its premises in Ebene, which will serve to control and operate the MIR-SAT1. This ground station will also allow the receipt of data and telemetry from other satellites. The ground station will be equipped with a ‘FlatSat’ module which is a replica of the 1U, which will enable engineers to simulate all the required manoeuvres prior to sending the command to the CubeSat. The FlatSat Module is a key tool for the Mauritian Engineers to design future CubeSats after the MIR-SAT1.