01 Nov 2021; MEMO: Oman is set to launch its first satellite into space by 2022, joining some of its Gulf neighbours in having a presence in the Earth's orbit.
According to the Omani newspaper, Al-Shabiba, over the weekend, the country's satellite named "CubeSat" will be launched into the Earth's low orbit with the assistance of two Omani companies— ETCO and Tuatara—and the Polish firm, Sat Revolution.
The project, agreed last week on the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai, will reportedly provide the country with the ability to access the most advanced and developed space technologies and image analysis.
That access would place Muscat on the list of nations which make up the global space industry and will help the country in its national digital strategy—otherwise known as "e.Oman" —which aims to advance its IT sector and digitise governmental services.
If Oman's goal to launch its satellite into space proves successful, the Sultanate would join some of its Gulf Arab neighbours which already have locally-made satellites, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The "CubeSat" technology would reportedly receive and send satellite images, collecting and processing the data to benefit both Muscat and other partners across the globe.
Oman's goal to launch CubeSat by next year is markedly earlier than its previous goal to launch it in 2024, which it announced last year.
