The first mission at Etlaq Spaceport to pair Omani and Singaporean launch operators proved its upper stage design in flight, carrying a payload from Australia’s Orbit2Orbit and connecting partners across Asia and Oceania.
Duqm, Oman – [1 October 2026] – The Karman X1 mission lifted off from Etlaq Spaceport shortly after dawn, with vehicle AZAD “The Dreamer” completing both stage burns and returning telemetry for the full flight. Launched by Oman-based Stellar Kinetics MCT and Singapore-based OculloSpace in Etlaq’s Genesis Program, Karman X1 is the first mission at Etlaq to pair Omani and Singaporean launch operators. The two-stage, 4.3 meter technology demonstrator, weighing 26 kilograms, ascended nominally, holding a steady path until the upper stage came down safely in the ocean. Onboard the flight was a 1 kilogram experimental payload from Australia’s Orbit2Orbit.
Etlaq Spaceport, the MENA region’s first commercial spaceport operator and a subsidiary of the National Aerospace Services Company (NASCOM), hosted the Karman X1 mission in its Genesis Program. The program was established in 2024 with the aim to streamline suborbital and experimental rocket launches with a focus on speed, cost-efficiency, and resilience. For this campaign, Etlaq teams prepared the launch site, supported vehicle integration, and managed range safety.
H.H. Azzan Kais Al Said, CEO of Etlaq Spaceport, said:
“Karman X1 is the first mission at Etlaq to bring an Omani and a Singaporean launch operator together, with an Australian payload on board. That is a milestone for us, and it shows how Oman can connect partners across the globe. Every Genesis Program mission adds to our operational experience, and what we learned from this flight will make the next one stronger. I am especially proud of our team who worked alongside our partners at every stage. We thank every partner and authority who made this mission possible.”
AZAD “The Dreamer” is the flagship vehicle of OculloSpace’s AZADRocket Program, which is dedicated to experimental rocket development, high-altitude flight testing and aerospace technology validation. Stellar Kinetics MCT led the launch operations at Etlaq, drawing on its experience at the spaceport since the Duqm-2 campaign in July of 2025. The two operators worked as a single launch team. Karman X1 was The Dreamer’s first flight.
Dr. Franco Gan, Founder of OculloSpace, said:
“Today’s launch of AZAD ‘The Dreamer’ from Etlaq Spaceport is a milestone not just for OculloSpace, but for the region. The AZADRocket Program was designed to prove that a homegrown, Asia-led team can take a rocket from concept to flight, and today we did exactly that. This is the first step in building independent, accessible launch capability for ASEAN and the GCC, and in showing the next generation of engineers that space is within their reach.”
Saqer Al Rushaidi, Co-Founder of Stellar Kinetics MCT, said:
“Karman X1 was a fast, focused campaign, and it was rewarding for our team to return to Etlaq. This time, we moved some of the manufacturing closer to the launch site. The solid motors were built in-country, helping us drive higher local content and skill in Oman’s upstream space activities. Our team worked closely with OculloSpace to make this mission a success, proving that operators from the Middle East and Asia can plan, integrate and fly as one team.”
“The Dreamer” carried Snowball, a 1 kg experimental payload from Orbit2Orbit’s Lab2Space program, which helps qualify research hardware. The mission continues Orbit2Orbit’s validation of its Bio-PHU technology stack, a specialized aerospace and biotechnology isolation payload. Life sciences research in space, from studying how structures and living cells respond to extreme mechanical stress to evaluating the effects of microgravity on biological samples, depends on hardware that has been tested in real flight. By hosting payloads like Snowball, Etlaq is growing its role as an accessible home for researchers worldwide looking to take life sciences experiments from the lab into flight.
Bradley Hatton-Jones, Founder and CEO of Orbit2Orbit, said:
“Seeing Snowball successfully fly on the Karman X1 mission is a fantastic milestone for Orbit2Orbit and for the growing space ecosystem in Oman. We’re grateful to Etlaq, Stellar Kinetics, OculloSpace and the AZADRocket team for creating the opportunity to put real hardware into flight and gather data in a real launch environment. Snowball was built to help us learn, validate and feed directly into the next generation of Orbit2Orbit systems, and this mission gives us exactly that opportunity. We’re proud to have been the payload partner on Karman X1 and excited to build on what we have achieved together.”
Karman X1 shows how a mission from Oman can connect partners across Asia and Oceania. It also marks another step for Etlaq Spaceport and the Sultanate of Oman in building the people, processes and partnerships behind a commercial launch capability. With each mission, Omani teams gain hands-on experience in launch operations, and international partners gain a trusted place to test, learn and fly again.
About Etlaq Spaceport
Etlaq Spaceport is Oman and the MENA region’s first commercial spaceport. Its near-equatorial location and open coastline give launch service providers efficient, flexible access to space. Etlaq, a subsidiary of the National Aerospace Services Company (NASCOM), currently hosts suborbital flights and experimental campaigns, with plans to support orbital launches for micro, small, medium and heavy launch vehicles.
Website: https://www.etlaq.om/
Social Media: X (formerly Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Youtube
For further information contact: sumayya@etlaq.om
About Stellar Kinectics MCT
Stellar Kinetics MCT is an Oman-based, vertically integrated rocket developer and one of Etlaq’s launch partners. The company conducts suborbital missions from Etlaq Spaceport in Duqm and supports launch operations for international partners. It also contributes to Oman’s space sector through education, supply chain development and community initiatives.
Website: https://stellarkinetics.om/
Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram
About OculloSpace
OculloSpace is a space technology and education company building the next generation of space professionals while making satellite and space technology accessible across ASEAN and the GCC. Through hands-on, project-based programmes, OculloSpace enables students, universities, and industry partners to design, build, test, and operate real space systems, from CubeSats and PocketQube satellites to experimental rockets. Its portfolio spans satellite development, Earth observation, IoT connectivity, space missions, and experimental rocketry through its AZADRocket programme. By pairing practical education with real engineering and flight projects, OculloSpace is strengthening regional space capabilities and widening participation in the global space economy.
About AZADRocket – “The Dreamer”
AZADRocket is the rocketry programme of OculloSpace, dedicated to experimental rocket development, high-altitude flight testing, and aerospace technology validation. Its flagship vehicle, “The Dreamer,” is an experimental sounding rocket built to demonstrate propulsion, aerodynamics, structures, and flight systems in a real launch environment. Flown from Etlaq Spaceport in Oman, AZADRocket brings together multidisciplinary engineering and mission operations to advance practical rocketry and support the next generation of space technologies.
Websites: www.ocullospace.com | www.azadrocket.com
Social Media:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/people/OculloSpace/61557813903446/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/ocullospace
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ocullospace/
Media Contact: support@ocullospace.com
About Orbit2Obit
Orbit2Orbit is an innovative space technology company specializing in hardware validation and payload solutions. Through its flagship “Lab-to-Space” hardware validation program, Orbit2Orbit transfers components developed in laboratory environments into active flight conditions to test and verify their durability, structural integrity, and performance in real-world launch environments.
Website: orbit2orbit.space
Social Media: X (formerly Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram
Contact: hello@orbit2orbit.space
