India and Mauritius have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a telemetry, tracking and telecommunications station for satellites and launch vehicles and for cooperation in the fields of space research, science and application.
According to sources, the proposed non-military ground-based facility with large antennas will monitor and communicate with satellites in orbit, provide data on their location, performance and health. The station will also relay commands to the satellites and receive data, which will enable continuous communication with spacecraft and ensure their orbits are maintained.
These stations are critical for managing satellite missions, from launch to operational life, as well as providing near-constant relay services for critical missions like the International Space Station (ISS).
They are crucial for managing satellite missions, from launch to operational life, and some networks provide near-constant relay services for critical missions like the International Space Station, sources said, while also underlining that these will make it easier to share data from satellites with not only Mauritius but with other areas in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The two countries have also inked and renewed pacts in other fields, which include science and technology, oceanography, hydrography, power sector, education as well as Indian grant assistance for the implementation of Phase II of Small Development Projects in the island nation.
The two sides also agreed to proceed with the government-to-government (G2G) proposal of setting-up a 17.5 MW floating solar PV project at Tamarind Falls, Mauritius, for which a team of experts from India's National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will be visiting Mauritius in coming weeks.
During his joint press interaction after wide-ranging talks with Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Special Economic Package worth $440 million to develop island nation's port, logistics, medical and highway infrastructure among others.
Modi described Mauritius as a "key part" of India's Neighbourhood First Policy and the 'MAHASAGAR' Vision. PM Modi said that a "free, open, secure, stable, and prosperous" Indian Ocean remained a "shared priority", and that New Delhi remained committed to strengthening the maritime security of Mauritius' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).