Technical Lead, Space Unit, Mauritius Research and Innovation Council
Ziyaad Soreefan
Ziyaad Soreefan
Ziyaad Soreefan is a Chartered Engineer (CEng, UK) and a Registered Professional Engineer (RPEM, Mauritius) specialised in aerospace. He serves as the Technical Lead in the Space Unit at the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), where he plays a key role in advancing the country’s space initiatives. Ziyaad holds a BEng (Hons) and an MSc in Aerospace Engineering from Brunel University, UK, and spent three years in the Mauritian aviation industry before transitioning to space research at the MRIC in 2017. He is a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Currently, he is the Lead Engineer for the MRIC on the India-Mauritius Joint Satellite (IMJS) project. In parallel, he spearheads efforts to expand Mauritius' satellite capabilities, including satellite research and development, utilizing the MRIC Ground Station for satellite tracking, exploring satellite data applications, and fostering international collaborations in space technology. Previously, he was the Co-Investigator of Mauritius' first satellite mission, MIR-SAT1, under the UNOOSA/JAXA KiboCube Programme 2018. He was actively involved in all aspects of satellite development, ground station operations, and regulatory processes. Following the deployment of the MIR-SAT1 in June 2021, he managed spacecraft operations from the MRIC Ground Station until its re- entry into Earth's atmosphere. Ziyaad has also played a key role in one of the MRIC Space Unit’s Research project (# NEREUS) a UNDP funded project in close collaboration with Surrey Space Centre in UK looking at creation of an algorithm merging different types of data to detect abnormally behaving vessels in the Mauritian EEZ.
