NASCOM and Karman Line, Inc. Sign MOU to Form Space Coast Oman Joint Venture

The two companies plan to develop the industry, infrastructure, and housing around Etlaq Spaceport at Duqm, with definitive agreements targeted by end of 2026.

MUSCAT, OMAN, November 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Oman’s National Aerospace Services Company (NASCOM) and Karman Line, Inc., a Cape Canaveral, Florida-based developer of spaceport-adjacent infrastructure, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish Space Coast Oman. The proposed joint venture will support the development of an integrated aerospace and commercial corridor around Etlaq Spaceport in Duqm, combining launch operations with the industrial facilities, infrastructure and services required for a sustainable space economy.

Etlaq Spaceport occupies a strategically positioned site on Oman’s Arabian Sea coast at approximately 18 degrees north, with access to open-ocean launch corridors to the east and south. This geography offers potential access to a range of orbital inclinations, including equatorial, polar and sun-synchronous trajectories, subject to mission-specific requirements and regulatory approvals. Etlaq is advancing agreements with a number of international launch providers and is targeting orbital launch capability by 2028.

Space Coast Oman aims to develop the supporting ecosystem around Etlaq Spaceport, including satellite integration and testing facilities, industrial and logistics infrastructure, reliable power and data connectivity, research and training facilities, hospitality and workforce housing. NASCOM will contribute its local leadership, land-development interests and relationships with Omani stakeholders, while Karman Line will lead master planning, development, capital formation and U.S. commercial engagement. Bouzganda, Karman Line’s local strategic and investment partner, and U.S.-based Vanquish Venture Partners will support the initiative.

“Etlaq was built to launch rockets, but a spaceport only works when people can build a life around it,” said His Highness Sayyid Azzan, founder and Chief Executive Officer of NASCOM. “That means families living in Duqm and Omanis trained to do the work. Space Coast Oman is how we get there, and Karman Line is the partner we chose to build it with.”

“A space economy is built on its ecosystem, and every part of that ecosystem depends on being connected,” said Eng. Aladdin Baitfadhil, Chief Executive Officer of Omantel. “As a strategic investor and primary telecommunications and infrastructure partner to Etlaq Spaceport since 2024, Omantel is providing the network and digital capabilities Space Coast Oman will need to grow. That is how we enable innovation and open new opportunities for businesses in Oman’s emerging sector.”

The project contributes to Oman Vision 2040 by advancing the Sultanate’s space industry, attracting investment, creating skilled employment opportunities for Omanis and building the infrastructure required for the sector’s long-term growth.

“Duqm is one of the most capable launch locations on Earth,” said Sean Graham, Chief Executive Officer of Karman Line. “With NASCOM, we will build the ground layer that turns a launch site into an industry: the logistics, the factories, the data, the training, and the places where people live and stay. We are honored to begin that work in Oman.”

“Space startups shouldn’t be real estate developers or carry hangars, clean rooms, and workforce housing on their balance sheets,” said Meagan Murphy Crawford, Chief Financial Officer of Karman Line and managing partner of SpacePort Fund. “With NASCOM, Karman Line will finance and build those long-lived assets at Duqm, so the space companies there can focus on bending metal and flying hardware.”

Etlaq Spaceport stays separately owned and operated, and the companies expect to sign definitive agreements by Dec. 31, 2026.

NASCOM, a privately held Omani company founded by His Highness Sayyid Azzan bin Qais Al Said, is the majority shareholder in Etlaq Services LLC, the owner and operator of Etlaq Spaceport in Oman’s Al Wusta Governorate. Etlaq is developing the Sultanate’s commercial launch infrastructure and has already supported suborbital launch activity, beginning with Duqm-1 in December 2024. Agreements with multiple international launch providers are being progressed, with orbital launch capability targeted for 2028. Through its investment in Etlaq and its role in Space Coast Oman, NASCOM is helping connect launch operations with the infrastructure, partnerships and local capabilities needed to establish a long-term aerospace industry in Oman. More information is available at https://etlaq.om.

Karman Line builds the ground layer of the space economy, including housing, shared industrial facilities, and public places that grow up around a working spaceport. At Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, has served as master planner for the restoration of the Sands Space History Center, part of the Legacy of Launch campaign it leads with the U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation. Karman Line also sponsors SpacePort Fund, its platform for real asset development near United States and allied spaceport corridors. More information is on https://karmanline.world and https://spaceportfund.com.

Sean Graham
Karman Line – Spaceport Fund
press@spaceportfund.com
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