Rocket firm eyes Oman launch operations through Etlaq Spaceport

MUSCAT, JUNE 3
Further strengthening Oman’s emergence as an international hub for commercial space launches, European launch services company HyImpulse Technologies GmbH has entered into a partnership with Etlaq Spaceport to explore future launch-related operations from the latter’s facility in Duqm.
The collaboration was formalized through the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) during the recent SmallSat Europe conference held in Amsterdam.
Headquartered in Germany with operations in both Germany and the United Kingdom, HyImpulse specializes in commercial suborbital and orbital launch services. The company is known for its hybrid propulsion technology that combines oxygen and paraffin-based fuel in small satellite launch vehicles designed for efficient and sustainable access to low Earth orbit and beyond.
Under the proposed collaboration, HyImpulse will evaluate both near-term mission opportunities and the feasibility of establishing a longer-term operational presence at Etlaq Spaceport. Beyond offering an alternative launch base outside northern Europe, the arrangement is expected to capitalize on Oman’s advantageous geographic latitude, enabling access to a broader range of orbital inclinations and enhancing mission flexibility for customers across the GCC, Asia and, potentially, emerging African markets.
The two sides also plan to assess the possibility of supporting future launch campaigns involving HyImpulse’s SR75 and SL1 launch vehicles from Oman. Etlaq would provide access to launch infrastructure, operational facilities and mission-support capabilities as the European company studies deployment opportunities in the Sultanate.
The agreement is viewed as another vote of confidence in Etlaq’s ambitions to position itself as a globally competitive commercial spaceport capable of attracting international launch operators seeking regional expansion opportunities.
Commenting on the collaboration, Julanda al Riyami, Chief Commercial Officer of Etlaq, said the spaceport aims to provide not just a launch location, but a complete operational ecosystem encompassing infrastructure, coordination and mission support services needed by launch companies.
Dr Christian Schmierer, Co-Founder and CEO of HyImpulse, described the agreement as an important step in expanding HyImpulse’s launch footprint beyond Europe into the Middle East. He noted that diversified access to multiple spaceports would enhance operational resilience and strengthen the company’s long-term competitiveness while opening pathways to new orbital opportunities and regional markets.
Located in Duqm’s Special Economic Zone, Etlaq Spaceport has been designed to provide end-to-end mission capabilities for international and regional space companies, including launch pads, operational coordination, and technical support services. Etlaq aims to enable a wide range of orbital trajectories and mission profiles while positioning the Sultanate as an emerging hub in the global commercial space industry.