VIENNA, 15 July (United Nations Information Service) — The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are continuing their cooperation on the KiboCUBE programme, launched in 2015, to provide developing economies and economies in transition with the opportunity to deploy CubeSats from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station (ISS).

Following the deployments of the first Kenyan (2018) and first Guatemalan (2020) CubeSats, Mauritius joined the group of space-faring nations on 22 June 2021 with the successful start of operations of “MIR-SAT 1” as part of KiboCUBE. Starting today, the 7th round of the KiboCUBE programme invites educational or research institutions from developing economies and economies in transition that are United Nations Member States to submit their applications by 31 December 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNOOSA and JAXA have further strengthened their cooperation by initiating the “KiboCUBE Academy”. Through a series of webinars, the Academy provides to interested participants theoretical knowledge on developing, operating, and utilizing a CubeSat, adding another important element to the “Access to Space for All Initiative”.

UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo said: “We are extremely thankful to our long-standing partner JAXA for the exciting opportunity to open up another round of the KiboCUBE programme. With the deployment of MIR-SAT 1 we just witnessed a moment of history in Mauritius, and we are thrilled and proud to be able to continue this unique opportunity. As part of our “Access to Space for All Initiative” the KiboCUBE programme is a joint UNOOSA and JAXA activity spotlighting our efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with a strong focus on SDG 4 “Quality Education”, SDG 9 “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure” and SDG 10 “Reduce Inequalities” by fostering innovation and supporting education and training on skillsets for developing cutting-edge technology.”

Shiho Ogawa, Director of Kibo Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate at JAXA, said: “We are pleased to open the new round of KiboCUBE with our long-standing partner UNOOSA. CubeSats, though small in its size, have a big potential as a first step to develop space technology. For this round, we will also offer opportunities to help deepen the understanding about the basic knowledge of satellite development through KiboCUBE Academy, a series of webinars and interactive sessions by professional lecturers. Lastly, we would like to thank UNOOSA for their continued support and we look forward to many applications.”

UNOOSA and JAXA aim to lower the entry barrier for everyone, everywhere to take on the challenge of developing a CubeSat through KiboCUBE. The “KiboCUBE Academy” will be an integral part during the 7^th round of the KiboCUBE opening to ensure that the technical requirements can be met by all interested applicants.

For more detailed information, please see: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/access2space4all/KiboCUBE/KiboCUBERounds.html