Muscat – Oman has taken another step towards developing commercial space-launch capabilities after Etlaq Spaceport in Duqm successfully completed a trial launch of the Azad – The Dreamer rocket as part of the Karman X1 mission.

The 4.3m, 26kg rocket lifted off from the spaceport on October 2 and followed a stable upward trajectory with flight data transmitted to the launch control centre.

The mission was not intended to reach space. Instead, it tested the launch process, rocket performance, flight systems and technologies, with the vehicle reaching its designated target altitude within the test range.

Karman X1 is Etlaq’s second successful launch, following the Duqm-1 mission in December 2024.

The launch was carried out under Etlaq’s Formation programme, established in 2024 to facilitate suborbital and experimental rocket launches, with emphasis on speed, efficiency, cost and adaptability.

The mission brought together partners from Oman, Singapore and Australia. Stellar Kinetics MCT, an Oman-based company, served as the launch operator, while the rocket’s payload was provided by the Australian company Orbit2Orbit. Singapore’s OculloSpace was involved in the mission.

H H Sayyid Azzan bin Qais Al Said, CEO of Etlaq, said the mission marked the first launch at the port involving an Omani launch operator alongside international partners.

He said the growing range of partnerships demonstrated Etlaq’s ability to attract space missions from different countries and build operational expertise in Oman.

“I am particularly proud of the team that worked alongside the partners at all stages,” he said.

The Omani spaceport team prepared the launch site and supported rocket integration and safety management during the mission.

The latest launch is expected to further build the capabilities of Omani teams in launch operations and support the development of commercial launch services from the sultanate.

The Etlaq Spaceport project is supported by the National Space Programme of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology as part of efforts to develop space-sector infrastructure, attract investment and transfer and localise space technologies.