Sounding rocket launches from Oman’s proposed Etlaq spaceport
Active and proposed Middle East spaceports
A sounding rocket was successfully launched today from Oman’s proposed Etlaq spaceport near the town of Duqm on its southern coast, the second such test launch there.
The “Etlaq” spaceport in Duqm successfully conducted a trial launch of the Azad Dreamer rocket as part of the Karman X1 space mission. The 4.3-metre-long rocket, weighing 26 kg, was launched from the spaceport and followed a stable upward trajectory, with flight data accurately transmitted to the mission control centre. The rocket reached its designated target altitude within the test range.
The mission was not intended to reach space, but focused on testing the launch process, rocket performance during flight, and the technologies and systems used in the mission.
A number of European rocket startups — PLD, HyImpulse, Latitude — have signed preliminary deals to launch from Etlaq, but up to now there is no indication any have started work on a launchpad. This test launch today is Oman’s effort to demonstrate its ability to handle launch operations.
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Q: Given the ongoing and current volatile conditions in the Middle East how will the countries in the region be seen launching rockets not constantly make everyone nervous?
I suppose if the IRGC and the insane radical Islamic Mullahs are eliminated from power that may ease tensions. But accomplishing that to a high degree may be a too tall order.
And that may soon be delivered by this administration and Iran’s neighbors?
The more money to be made from space; the more incentive Middle Eastern States will have to maintain a stable political and military environment. Prosperity, or the promise thereof, promotes stability.
I would generally agree with your assessment, BUT.
BUT when dealing with the more radical (SHIA) version of Islam your rational assessment does not apply.
Their stated goal based in their reading and the actual word of their religious book is to eliminate every and all people, cultures and religions that exist in opposition to what their book mandates. Which is the elimination of those who oppose them.
So, there is no coexistence and mutual benefit in their calculation. They must be physically made inconsequential in your calculation, and that means war.
“Mohammad to my eye promoted a dark, bloody, violent, extortion or decapitation death for the infidel and a biased no other belief system will be tolerated path. In addition, we have men being rewarded with the services of 72 young virgins in heaven as their reward for fidelity. And women are rewarded with their own slaves in heaven for their fidelity. I never conceptualized that heaven would be so materialistic and based in the physical sexual pleasure, the abuse and subjugation of other human beings and the lack of tolerance of all other belief systems on the planet. Is it just me?
Muhammad the warlord: “Muhammad rarely if ever opted for peace when he had the power to dominate. As the Hadith records in many places, the prophet of Islam said that he had “been called to fight all men until they testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.” The goal of Islam is the rule of Islam.”
https://www.sigma3ioc.com/post/its-all-jesus-s-fault
The word of Islam is incompatible with western thought and civilization and needs to be removed from directly interacting with it in many cases and controlled. There should be no respect given for it because it ultimately is toxic to reason and civilization.
Given that no erstwhile Islamic empire or any current Islamic-majority state has ever really bought into that formula, I am dubious that Oman will be the first to do so. The crazed jihadi co-pilot who recently tried to take down a plane full of Israelis was Omani. The Islamic rot runs deep in that part of the world and seems likely to continue doing so absent external conquest and pacification by non-Muslims – a quite unlikely prospect.
Who, with any sense, would undertake such a project? The Russians certainly had that on their to-do list back when they were on their uppers but, of course, Russians have never been very sensible as witness their current long-playing bleed-out in Ukraine. And they’re only batting .333 against Islamic foes during the last half-century – losing their Afghan War and the First Chechen War, only beating Chechnya on the rematch.