RSA signs Satellite ground infrastructure agreement with Atlas Space Operations Inc

 RSA initiates a satellite ground infrastructure partnership with ATLAS Space Operations Inc.

The Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) and ATLAS Space Operations Inc., a prominent American provider of satellite communication ground infrastructure, have established a strategic alliance to use a Rwandan teleport. The teleport will have a 9.3-meter antenna capable of servicing spacecraft on lunar missions.

Mike Carey, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of ATLAS, and Col Francis Ngabo, CEO of RSA, signed the agreement on February 21, 2023, to allow ATLAS to expand its network of global ground stations in Sub-Saharan Africa with the capability to assist lunar missions.

The Agency is creating a teleport capable of hosting many ground stations to service satellites in different orbits, according to the deal details disclosed by RSA. Furthermore, the teleport features cutting-edge infrastructure and facilities that may provide crucial connectivity for spacecraft Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C).

At the occasion, Col Francis Ngabo stated that the Agency is excited to collaborate with ATLAS Space Operation Ltd to improve its teleport operations. "The agreement arises from RSA's ambition to engage in the midstream and downstream parts of the space sector, enabling Rwanda to become the go-to destination for any global space company desiring to employ satellite ground infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, our collaboration with ATLAS will offer value to Rwanda's teleport.

Additionally, Col Francis stated that the 9.3-meter antenna may handle many satellites at various time slots and that RSA encourages other satellite operators to consider Rwanda for their TT&C infrastructure needs. "The operationalization of the teleport and satellite ground station will not only attract space investors but will also allow easy access to satellite data for developing numerous applications that can help Rwanda's socioeconomic development," he added.

Mike Carey also stated that his organization would use its ground-breaking approach to space communications - Ground Software as a Service - based on their Freedom Platform, to manage the Rwandan satellite ground station and other critical radio frequencies to facilitate satellite management and space missions.

                        (L-R) Mike Carey, Co-Founder and COO of ATLAS, and Col Francis Ngabo, CEO of RSA. Source: RSA

"We are happy to join with RSA to grow our activity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rwanda will benefit from our big client base that seeks to use ground stations in Sub-Saharan Africa thanks to the combination of our Freedom software and federated global antenna network. Furthermore, ATLAS wants to use the Rwandan ground station to command existing and potential client space missions, demonstrating how effective collaborations can make space accessible to all," Mike added.

The Rwandan teleport comes at a time when the space sector is seeing enormous growth, with revenue expected to increase from USD 400 billion in 2022 to USD 1 trillion in 2040. ith missions like Similarly, the industry is likewise witnessing substantial expansion and interest in the outer space exploration segment, with missions like the Artemis 1 opening the way for a long journey back to the Moon.