On June 22, 2021, the CubeSat MIR-SAT1, developed by the team of Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), was successfully deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station (ISS). This deployment was supported by the KiboCUBE program run by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), where the team was selected as the winner in the third round.

MIR-SAT1 has become the first satellite for Mauritius, which is operated by MRIC since its deployment. The experience of development and operation of MIR-SAT1, such as image acquisition and communication demonstration, is expected to benefit the future space activities in Mauritius.