Rwanda’s Space Agency partners with Atlas Space
February 23, 2023
By Chris Forrester
Rwanda’s Space Agency (RSA) has signed a strategic partnership with Atlas Space Operations to utilise a teleport in Rwanda.
RSA is building a major teleport capable of hosting multiple ground stations to serve and connect with satellites in different orbits.
The partnership with Atlas Space Operations – signed by Mike Carey, co-founder and COO at Atlas – allows Atlas to extend its own network of ground stations in sub-Saharan Africa.
“We are happy to have Atlas Space Operation Ltd as a key partner in the operation of our teleport”, said RSA’s CEO Col. Francis NGABO. The partnership is a result of RSA’s strategy to invest in the down and midstream segment 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. We believe that our partnership with Atlas will bring value to the teleport in particular and to the space program in Rwanda in general.”
Col. NGABO added that the 9.3 metre antenna has the capability to service many satellites at different time slots, and therefore RSA welcomes other satellite operators to consider Rwanda for their need in TT&C infrastructure. The operationaliation of the teleport and satellite ground station will not only attract investors in the space sector but also provide easy access to satellite data for developing various applications that can contribute to socio economic development of Rwanda.
Atlas will employ its ‘Ground Software as a Service’, built around their ‘Freedom Platform’, to manage the Rwandan satellite ground station and other critical radio frequencies for facilitating the management of satellite and space missions. Additionally, Atlas intends to use the Rwandan ground station to command current and prospective client space missions.