Rocket launch from Oman's spaceport postponed, yet progress continues
**Etlaq Spaceport: Middle East's First Commercial Spaceport Gains Momentum**
In the heart of Oman, a new era of space exploration is taking shape with the development of Etlaq Spaceport, the Middle East's first commercial spaceport. Positioned as a fast-track launch site for start-ups, the spaceport is rapidly becoming a hub for space-related activities in the region.
Currently, Etlaq Spaceport operates through the Genesis program, offering companies the opportunity to plan and execute high-altitude missions in as little as 13 weeks. The spaceport's equatorial location offers several advantages, reducing fuel consumption and optimizing satellite deployment to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond. Partnerships with companies like Stellar Kinetics and NASCOM are crucial to the spaceport's operations.
The spaceport made its debut with a successful test flight in December 2024, launching a 6.5-meter rocket on a high-altitude mission. Five launch attempts are planned for 2025, including a delayed launch and a series of subsequent launches from Stellar Kinetics. The second launch attempt was called off due to technical issues, while an attempt by Stellar Kinetics involving the Kea-2 rocket is expected in October. A Kuwaiti start-up will try to launch its experimental rocket in November.
The full orbital spaceport, expected to begin construction next year, will feature three launch complexes and four pads, designed to support small, medium, and heavy-lift vehicles. Commercial operations are scheduled to start at the end of 2027. Despite the Genesis operations occupying only about 10% of the spaceport's capacity, the Genesis programme is expected to see a steady stream of both experimental and commercial vehicles launching from the Etlaq Spaceport as it builds momentum.
One of the most anticipated missions, the Duqm-2 mission, aimed to launch a 12-metre experimental suborbital rocket developed by Stellar Kinetics. However, the mission was cancelled due to a technical problem with the rocket's actuator. Despite this setback, Ieuan Carney, a PhD student at the University of Surrey, expressed excitement about being a part of the Duqm-2 mission, despite the payload not deploying. A team from Jupiter, a UK-based space start-up, built a small satellite called Jovian-O and an Earth observation device for the Duqm-2 mission.
Sayyid Azzan bin Qais Al Said, chief executive of the spaceport, stated that many objectives of the Duqm-2 mission had been achieved, indicating a positive outlook for future missions from Etlaq Spaceport. As the spaceport continues to develop and launch activities throughout 2025 and beyond, it is clear that Etlaq Spaceport is poised to make significant contributions to the future of space exploration.
[1] Information sourced from the Etlaq Spaceport press release dated 1st January 2025.
- The upcoming missions at Etlaq Spaceport in Oman include five launch attempts in 2025, with a Kuwaiti start-up planning to launch its experimental rocket in November.
- Partnerships with companies like Stellar Kinetics and NASCOM play a crucial role in the operations of the Middle East's first commercial spaceport, Etlaq Spaceport.
- The Duqm-2 mission, one of the most anticipated missions, intended to launch a 12-meter experimental suborbital rocket developed by Stellar Kinetics, but was cancelled due to a technical problem with the rocket's actuator.
- While the Genesis program currently occupies only about 10% of the spaceport's capacity, it is expected to see a steady stream of both experimental and commercial vehicles launching from the Etlaq Spaceport as it builds momentum, particularly within the realms of space-related news, technology, and science, such as space-and-astronomy.
