The partnership will allow Atlas Space Operations to extend its own network of ground stations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) and Atlas Space Operations Inc. have announced a strategic partnership to use a teleport in Rwanda the teleport will feature a 9.3-meter antenna in different frequency bands capable of servicing spacecraft on lunar missions.
The partnership signed by Mike Carey, co-founder and COO at Atlas Space Operations and Col Francis Ngabo, CEO of RSA allows Atlas to extend its own network of ground stations in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the agreements details released by RSA, the agency is building a teleport capable of hosting multiple ground stations to service satellites in different orbits. In addition, the teleport has state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities capable of providing critical communication for spacecraft Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C).
Commenting on the deal, Col Francis Ngabo said: The partnership results from RSAs strategy to invest in the midstream and downstream segments of the space sector, enabling Rwanda to become the go-to destination for any global space entity wishing to use satellite ground infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, we believe our partnership with ATLAS will bring value to Rwandas teleport and space programme in general. The operation of the teleport and satellite ground station will attract investors in the space sector as well as provide easy access to satellite data for developing various applications that can contribute to the socio-economic development of Rwanda.
Mike Carey also noted that his organisation will employ its Ground Software as a Service, built around the firms Freedom Platform, to manage the Rwandan satellite ground station and other critical radio frequencies to facilitate satellite management and space missions.
Carey added: “We are thrilled to partner with RSA to extend our operation in Sub-Saharan Africa. The combination of our Freedom software and federated global antenna network will provide opportunities for Rwanda to benefit from our large client base that wishes to use ground stations in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, ATLAS intends to use the Rwandan ground station to command current and prospective client space missions, and this is a great example of how strategic partnerships can make space accessible for all.”
The teleport in Rwanda comes at a time when the space industry is going through rapid development, with projected growth from $400bn of revenue in 2022 to $1tn in 2040.
