Rwanda has doubled the number of satellite contacts its Mwulire teleport can handle at once following the activation of a second antenna at the facility. The new antenna, owned by US-based ATLAS Space Operations, became operational on September 18, increasing the number of simultaneous satellite contacts the teleport can support from one to two. ALSO READ: Rwanda partners with US company Planet Labs to expand satellite data use The first antenna at the Mwulire facility is fully owned by Rwanda, according to the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA). The second antenna is owned by ATLAS, which is using space at the RSA facility under a Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS) arrangement. Under the model, ATLAS pays to use space at the teleport, although RSA did not disclose the value of the agreement. Kristin Rice, CEO of ATLAS Space Operations, said the second antenna will provide satellite operators with greater access to the facility and reflects the demand for ground-station services near the Equator. The antenna is part of ATLAS’s global ground-station network, which the company says has more than 50 antennas in 20 countries. Why Mwulire? Mwulire, in Rwamagana District, is located about two degrees south of the Equator, at an altitude of 1,668 metres. Its location allows the station to see low-inclination satellites that may not be visible to ground stations at higher latitudes, while also providing additional contact opportunities for satellites operating in mid-inclination orbits. ALSO READ: Rwanda's teleport becomes first fully certified facility in Sub-Saharan Africa RSA said the site also has limited obstructions, which allows antennas to communicate with space assets with limited interference. The new antenna is a 3.7-metre receive-only system designed to receive S-band signals. Its equipment can also be upgraded to receive X-band signals without replacing the antenna. During commissioning, ATLAS said the antenna completed more than 350 scheduled test contacts without any recorded error seconds. Gaspard Twagirayezu, CEO of RSA, said the addition of the antenna expands the capacity available at Rwanda’s teleport to support space missions from Africa. He added that the teleport is available for activities including antenna hosting and mission-control services. The addition of the antenna comes as Rwanda seeks to expand the number of users of its ground infrastructure. RSA said teleports typically host multiple antennas owned or operated by different public or private organisations. The antennas can differ in size and design and may serve different purposes, meaning additional antennas increase the range and capacity of services available at a facility. ALSO READ: Why Rwanda’s space economy is a catalyst for innovation and growth The agency said it is receiving more clients, adding that Rwanda's ground infrastructure can serve satellite operators beyond the country. In August, the government announced a partnership with US-based Earth-observation company Planet Labs to expand access to near-daily satellite data for government institutions, universities, startups and development partners. The programme, managed by RSA, is expected to support applications including agriculture and food security, environmental monitoring, urban planning and disaster management. The Mwulire teleport has also recently received international recognition. In June, it became the first facility in Sub-Saharan Africa to receive Tier 3 certification from the World Teleport Association.
