Cornwall: ETCO company has announced that the first Omani satellite, codenamed “Aman”, was successfully prepared for its launch into Low Earth Orbit, at Newquay, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom (UK). Integrated into the launch rocket, “LauncherOne”, the satellite will be taken on its journey into space later in 2022.
Satellite integration is a major step in meeting the objectives of Oman’s first space mission.
Oman’s mission to space is undertaken by ETCO, an Oman-based emerging technology innovator; Virgin Orbit, a leading US-based satellite launch company; SatRev, Polish nanosatellite manufacturer and operator and TUATARA, specialists in advanced AI, data analytics and cognitive technology solutions.
The first Omani CubeSat satellite, “Aman”, is being integrated with the spacecraft during a procedure conducted at Newquay Airport, in Cornwall. The Virgin Orbit integration team led the event, beginning with a final cleaning and checkout of the Omani satellite, ensuring that the Remove Before Flight (RBF) items on the CubeSat were taken away. Once the satellite was prepared, it was placed in the launch dispenser, followed by a series of rigorous checks.
Abdulaziz Jaafar, CEO of ECTO said, “Satellite integration marks an important milestone in the plan to send the first Omani spacecraft into space in 2022. It is encouraging to witness this first-of-its-kind project in the country’s history unfolding and we are looking forward to see it through to a final stage that will occur later this year when it will be launched into the low Earth orbit.”
On his turn, Grzegorz Zwolinski, CEO of SatRev added that “Integration went as planned and it was a complete success. All risks have already been minimized due to the Fit-Check event that occurred during the previous month, where the same Virgin Orbit integration team was on-site at SatRev headquarters in Poland to perform a detailed walkthrough of all planned integration steps.”
Oman’s space programme will enable ground-breaking scientific research and capture high-resolution satellite images, which will be further analyzed digitally using Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and AI solutions developed by TUATARA in strategic partnership with ETCO.
The Omani space project intends to provide long-lasting benefits and unlock new horizons for the next generation of world space explorers and innovators in the space sector, while investing in national talent that will build a promising future for Oman. The project will contribute to added-value in all over Oman and it will accelerate the transformation to a digital economy and space-related industries.
