OQ Technology

OQ Technology is a startup company and world’s first global satellite telecom operator using the 5G protocol for IoT connectivity, especially in remote and rural areas. The company, with offices in Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, UAE (Dubai), Greece and Rwanda (Kigali), serves the Oil & Gas and Maritime Industry and Transport segments, with focus on tracking of assets in remote areas.

The company is headquartered in Luxembourg and has 7 satellites in orbit as of 2023. Their first satellite, Tiger-1, two 6U CubeSats, was manufactured by GOMSpace from Denmark. The satellite was launched in February 2018 on a Chinese Long March 2D rocket, operated by CGWIC. The company expects to have 10 satellites on orbit by 2024.

In 2021 OQ Technology signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of the Luxembourg National Space program for the in-orbit pathfinder mission MACSAT. The contract aims to develop space partnerships and involves the development of a 6U nanosatellite, an advanced flight payload, and user terminals. The company will manage and operate the mission is responsible for installing a ground station in Luxembourg to run its spacecraft flight operations. MACSAT (MAChine SATellite) was successfully launched on October 8^th, 2023 aboard the Vega launcher operated by Arianespace. OQ Technology has deployed the MACSAT satellite and has augmented its existing constellation of five satellites in orbit.

Lithuanian satellite manufacturer NanoAvioncs built the Tiger-4 satellite and received an order for the Tiger-7 and Tiger-8. The three 6U cubesats will have electric onboard propulsion for deployment, formation flying and end-of-life disposal. The satellites will allow OQ Technology to grow their constellation to expand global coverage, and enter new markets.

Company History

OQ Technology was established in January 2016 by former SES engineer Omar Qaise. The company was founded in Luxembourg to extend the 5G internet-of-things and machine communication coverage beyond the cell towers to the poorly connected areas and remote and rural regions using a network of low Earth-orbiting (LEO) Nano-satellites. 

On August 1^st, 2028 OQ Technology raised a 7,110,000 USD grant.

In October 2019 the company raised another 1,500,000 USD for financing their constellation plans. 

On February 2^nd 2018 the company launched their first satellite, Tiger-1, two 6U CubeSats, manufactured by Denmark’s GOMSpace. The satellite was launched on a Chinese Long March 2D rocket, operated by CGWIC.

In 2021 OQ Technology signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of the Luxembourg National Space program for the in-orbit pathfinder mission MACSAT. The contract aims to develop space partnerships and involves the development of a 6U nanosatellite, an advanced flight payload, and user terminals. The company will manage and operate the mission is responsible for installing a ground station in Luxembourg to run its spacecraft flight operations.

In June 2021 the company launched Tiger-2 CubeSat using space logistics company SpaceFlight, Inc. Tiger-2 was successfully ejected from the Sherpa-LTE CubeSat dispenser into space on June 30^th.    

On April 17^th, 2023 the company signed a commercial contract with Aramco Oil & Gas company from Saudi Arabia. The contract, valued nearly 1 million euro, includes 5G coverage for IoT devices using the world’s first constellation of low Earth orbit. OQ Technology will deploy user terminals that are covering Aramco’s remote oil and gas infrastructures to monitor leak and spillage detection, and smart metering.

On October 8^th, 2023, OQ Technology successfully launched its MACSAT pathfinder satellite with Arianespace using their Vega launcher. The satellite was launched from the Spaceport launch base in French Guiana at 10:37 pm local time.The company has augmented its existing constellation of five satellites in orbit.

On November 23^rd, 2023 Tiger-5 and Tiger-6 were launched with SpaceX’ Transporter-9 Rideshare mission on a Falcon 9 rocket.

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Resources

www.oqtec.space
www.siliconluxembourg.lu
www.spacewatch.global
www.space-agency.public.lu
www.spacenews.com  edition March 15^th, 2023
www.delano.lu  edition April 17^th, 2023
www.oqtec.medium.com
www.newspace.im
www.golden.com
www.youtube.com
www.arabnews.com  edition July 19^th, 2023
www.satellitetoday.com  edition December 6^th, 2023