Day: June 2, 2023

Vicillion CEO and Chairwoman Shares Her Vision for World’s First Equatorial Commercial Spaceport and the Launch of Her Half-Billion Dollar Aerospace Fund

For the aerospace engineer turned entrepreneur Wanjiku Kanjumba, space is not just a destination but a $464 billion economy worth investing in. Kanjumba is the CEO and chairwoman of Vicillion, a global infrastructure development firm poised to launch an unparalleled spaceport for commercial use.

It will come by way of the company’s Omega Fund, a groundbreaking $500 million (USD) investment vehicle focused on transforming the aerospace landscape. The Omega Spaceport will be Vicillion’s first investment in the Fund to create an essential entry point into the space sector for commercial ventures. While access is possible through government-owned facilities, the process is painstakingly slow and wrapped in red tape regulations. 

“We see the Omega Fund and its many projects as a catalyst for growth and expansion of the space sector,” Kanjumba says. “Creating more opportunity and access for commercial enterprises means we can help usher in the next chapter of space launches and travel.” 

Defying Gravity in Her Career and Business

While Kanjumba might not have planned to lead the development of the world’s first equatorial commercial spaceport at the start of her career, she was drawn to the galaxy’s scientific unknowns from an early age. 

“As a child, I was always interested in space science and learning about how the world worked. I wanted to combine those passions, and the answer was aerospace engineering,” she explains about her path to a college major. Kanjumba graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she completed both her undergraduate education and a master’s degree in none other than aerospace engineering and a minor in spaceflight operations.

She became the first Kenyan-born graduate from the Project PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Program. The five-day, fully immersive training program, developed by former NASA astronaut instructors and leading scientists, teaches candidates the necessary skills for next-generation space research.

Kanjumba founded Vicillion in 2021 alongside her co-founder and vice-chairman, Ebenezer Ahama. The American-based firm was celebrated as the Most Collaborative Aerospace R&D Partner in the 2023 Aviation and Aerospace Awards.

“We launched Vicillion to work on grand projects that are targeted at increasing human ingenuity across the globe and the universe. We want to make the impossible possible, where the universe isn’t the limit,” says Kanjumba. The firm’s Omega Fund will support innovative ventures that address critical challenges and unlock new opportunities in space travel.

Redefining the Impossible in Commercial Space Ventures

The space sector is poised for rapid growth over the next two decades, but without the proper accessible infrastructure, leaders worry that potential could falter. Currently, there are 35 spaceports and launch facilities worldwide, but many are government owned. Regulations and slow processes make it almost impossible for commercial space ventures to function.

According to Kanjumba, it can take an average of 6-18 months to launch a commercial payload—a painstakingly slow process for anyone unfamiliar with the typical launch timeline.

The proposed Omega Spaceport would support geosynchronous and geostationary launches, equipped with launching pads and mount structures, communication towers, a mission control center, and more. First-phase plans for the facility would provide a launch platform open to commercial use. 

“While it will be a fully functional launch site, we are also thinking about the Omega Spaceport as an incubator for research,” explains Kanjumba. The facility will lend itself to developing technologies that increase the efficiency, safety, and capacity of future space exploration and travel. In short, Omega Spaceport will become a backdrop to the space sector’s next chapter.

Omega Spaceport’s proposed location was carefully selected due to its proximity to the Equator, which allows launches to take advantage of the Earth’s rotational speed, and access to the growing commercial space market around the Indian Ocean. Kanjumba also sees an opportunity to help shape industry protocol, as launch regulations in the proposed location have yet to be established. 

Exploring a New Future of the Space Sector

A growing commercial space sector creates opportunities for the industry’s untapped potential. As Kanjumba points out, “Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk are driving opportunities in space from here in America and across Europe. But I feel like it’s time for other regions to have an opportunity to contribute as well.” 

While the space economy is expected to be valued at $1 trillion by 2040, the Vicillion team recognizes it is hard to predict the future. Kanjumba believes her company is essential to fulfilling the industry’s potential by starting with the Omega Fund. She sees great potential in space tourism as the industry slowly removes barriers that have previously kept civilians away from the final frontier.

She also hopes opportunities like the Omega Fund cultivate a sense of collaboration and shared excitement in the space sector—for both commercial enterprises and civilians alike. Vicillion’s work has already cultivated relationships with entities such as the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Space Force. 

“There’s so much out about the space that still feels untouchable for many people. But I want to create a facility that shows people that space doesn’t have to be distant. We can all contribute as one global center to space,” Kanjumba says. 

Pending funding via the Omega Fund, construction of the aptly named Omega Spaceport could begin within two years, with the facility ready for launch as soon as 2026. Learn more about Vicillion and its equatorial commercial spaceport project at vicillion.com.