Rwanda: Rwanda Doubles Satellite Ground Capacity With Second Antenna

What the report says

Rwanda has expanded the capacity of its Mwulire teleport after activating a second satellite antenna at the facility, according to The New Times and distributed by AllAfrica. The upgrade allows the site to handle two simultaneous satellite contacts instead of one, marking a practical increase in ground-station capability for the country’s growing space infrastructure.

The new antenna, owned by U.S.-based ATLAS Space Operations, began operating on September 18. It is installed at the Rwanda Space Agency’s facility in Mwulire, in Rwamagana District, under a Ground Station as a Service arrangement. Under that model, ATLAS pays to use space at the teleport, while the first antenna at the site remains fully owned by Rwanda, according to the report.

ATLAS said the added antenna reflects demand for ground-station services near the Equator and is part of its wider network of more than 50 antennas across 20 countries. The Mwulire site’s location, close to the Equator and at high altitude, helps it track satellites that are harder to see from higher-latitude stations. Rwanda Space Agency officials said the additional antenna increases capacity for space missions and supports services such as antenna hosting and mission control.

The development comes as Rwanda seeks more users for its ground infrastructure and broadens its role in regional space services. The article also notes that the teleport recently received Tier 3 certification from the World Teleport Association and that Rwanda has been working on separate satellite-data partnerships to support sectors such as agriculture, planning and disaster management.