MUSCAT, JAN 10
Oman’s first satellite 'Aman' failed to launch yesterday due to a technical issue. The cube satellite was scheduled to launch from spaceport Cornwall in the UK as part of a Virgin Orbit mission. According to the company, the launching rocket’s system experienced a malfunction during the firing of the rocket's second stage engine.
Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Orbit , Dan Hart , stated the following regarding the mission’s failure, "While we are very proud of the many things that we successfully achieved as part of this mission, we are mindful that we failed to provide our customers with the launch service they deserve.”
“The first-time nature of this mission added layers of complexity that our team professionally managed through; however, in the end a technical failure appears to have prevented us from delivering the final orbit. We will work tirelessly to understand the nature of the failure, make corrective actions, and return to orbit as soon as we have completed a full investigation and mission assurance process," he added.
Satellite Aman was previously integrated into launching rocket LauncherOne, which was meant to be deployed through an air carrier in a process known as air-launching.
However the company behind the Satellite, Oman’s Emerging Technology Company (ETCO), labelled the failure as a possible risk in the space industry.
“The mission is fully insured, and we have activated the response plan to ensure the continuity of the mission's operations and our services in the space sector,” shared the company in a statement online.
The nanosatellite, known as a cube satellite or a CubeSat , was meant to launch into low earth orbit. While images and data collected would be transmuted to ETCO’s ground station in Oman.
The satellite was a result of a collaboration between Oman’s ETCO, data analysis and solutions provider TUATARA, and nanosatellite manufacturer SatRevolution. It is unknown when the satellite will re-launch.
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