Key milestone: Executive agreement for deep space exploration mission to be signed in three months: SatRevolution CEO
A leading Polish nanosatellite manufacturer and operator tapped by the Sultanate of Oman to kickstart its satellite and deep space exploration programmes says the twin initiatives will not only herald Oman’s evolution as a space-faring nation, but also have beneficial spinoffs across the wider national economy.
Grzegorz Zwolinski, CEO of SatRevolution, a globally renowned specialist in the design and assembly of small, lightweight and reliable satellites, noted that imaging and data from Omani satellites can be harnessed for the development of a number of key economic sectors, notably agriculture, insurance, mining, logistics and distribution.
Last month, SatRevolution was among a number of international companies that signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oman-based tech firm International Emerging Technology Company (ETCO) to support the Sultanate of Oman in the launch of its deep space exploration programme.
Parties to the landmark pact also included Virgin Orbit (part of British billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Group) and Tuatara (a software firm specialising in Artificial Intelligence). The MoU calls for the launch of a SatRevolution CubeSat satellite aboard a Virgin Orbit rocket that will conduct scientific research and capture imagery of deep space. The launch is targeted sometime in the third quarter of 2024.
In an interview published over the weekend, the Polish national news agency PAP quoted SatRevolution’s Zwolinski as saying that the satellite will likely “travel to, for example, the Moon, Mars or Venus”. The final path of the satellite, he clarified, will be decided in consultation with Omani professionals, noting that an executive agreement, building on last month’s MoU, is expected to be signed within the next three months.
Significantly, SatRevolution is also playing a prominent role in the launch of the Sultanate of Oman’s first Earth observation satellite for deployment in low orbit around the planet — an event slated during this summer. Stemming from an agreement signed in Dubai last October, the nanosatellite manufactured by SatRevolution will be placed on board Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne in the first ever launch from the United Kingdom’s Spaceport Cornwall in 2022.
‘Ultimately, the installation of satellites for Oman in the low orbit will consist of a dozen or so objects using technologies that ensure the possibility of 24-hour Earth observation,’ PAP stated in its interview.
Underpinning the need for so many satellites, Zwolinksi explained, is the Sultanate of Oman’s quest, as a rapidly developing country, to invest in the latest space research and technologies. Furthermore, the Vision 2040 strategy envisions an important role for satellite data to become a new source of revenue for the country —data being the new oil, he noted.
But in addition to contributing to the development of a number of key economic sectors, satellite data will also prove valuable in, for example, contingency planning for emergencies and monitoring infrastructure.
“Satellite images allow, among others, to monitor the condition of sensitive infrastructure and quickly react, for example, to leaks from pipelines, predict agricultural yields and market prices, as well as disasters such as landslides or volcanic eruptions,” said Zwolinski.
Satellite imaging services, according to the CEO, are projected to grow into a $140 billion industry by 2026. SatRevolution’s goal is to become the world’s largest operator of satellites for observing the terrestrial globe, he said, adding that nanosatellites manufactured by the Polish company are slightly larger than a Rubik cube and weigh from 1 to 10 kg apiece.
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