TOWN OF DUQM IS READY TO LAUNCH OMAN ON TO WORLD SPACE TRAVEL MAP
▶ Plans for Etlaq rocket complex would offer one-size-fits-all solution for commercial companies by end of decade
Omani officials have laid out plans for the development of the Middle East’s first spaceport, which they hope will be in operation by the end of the decade.
The commercial spaceport, called Etlaq, would host all sizes of launch vehicles in the port town of Duqm, and would meet US Federal Aviation Administration standards to attract business from international companies.
National Aerospace Services Company, which is responsible for the project, shared its plans at the three-day Middle East Space Conference in Muscat, a year after the concept first hit the headlines.
Azzan Al Said, chairman of Nascom, told The National on the sidelines of the conference that the Etlaq Space Launch Complex was in the planning phase and would move to development by next year.
The spaceport was expected to become fully operational by 2030.
“The plan is for a large spaceport that will accommodate launch vehicles from micro to large orbital and suborbital,” said Mr Al Said. “It will comprise three launch complexes: one which supports medium to large [rockets], another one that is small to medium and one micro.”
Space companies such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic have had their eyes on the Middle East – especially the UAE – as a launch pad for their space tourism flights for some time.
But nothing has materialised so far, with reports that said US regulations – specifically the International Traffic in Arms Regulations – restrict American companies from exporting certain kinds of technology.
Mr Al Said said that they would work towards “removing that barrier” once they start getting interest from the global launch companies.
“There are things such as ITAR and safeguard agreements which would have to be put in place between Oman and the United States for them to operate here,” said Mr Al Said.
“It’s a regulatory barrier but it’s one that’s easy to open up discussion on once we actually get interest.”
Duqm port’s equatorial position makes it an ideal location for launches, as the vehicle can make the most of the Earth’s rotation.
“Oman has a unique offering in terms of the inclination and the proximity to the equator,” said Mr Al Said.
“The only other port closer to the equator is the one in French Guiana, but at the same time we don’t see them as direct competitors, because those ones are in different hemispheres.
“The other reason that makes Oman attractive for space launches is that the east of Oman is the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, so having that down-range clearance makes it much more favourable and safer for launches to take place without putting people in harm’s way.”
The UK’s Launch Services was contracted by Nascom last year to develop engineering designs for the spaceport.
Andy Bradford, chief executive of the company, told The National that it would give the region’s space economy a boost and the commercial prestige of a spaceport.
“Having a regional spaceport and space launch capabilities is a good thing, and most regions who are developing space economies are looking at that the same way the UK did it,” Mr Bradford said.
“But, if it’s in the right place, and it’s attractive, you can attract international business, which is also what they want to do. The actual geographical location is really good for putting things into space because it’s coastal and you can launch in a number of different directions, which means you can go into a number of different orbits,” he said.
All of these have different commercial applications for the region.
The US and Russia have the world’s oldest spaceports, dating to the 1950s.
Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are using commercial spaceports in the US to launch space tourists, astronauts and payloads into orbit.
China is also emerging as a space power with one of the world’s most active programmes and several spaceports that are fully operational.
The European Space Agency uses a spaceport in French Guiana to launch its satellites into space.
There is also a launch pad in New Zealand that American company Rocket Lab operates, which has an FAA licence for private orbital launches.
The Indian Space Agency uses a pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh for its rocket launches.
While the US and Russia have the world’s earliest spaceports, businesses are gravitating towards newer launch centres