Mura Space supports RIIS to host Karman Week 2026 in Cape Town

The Karman Project—a global foundation advancing peace and cooperation in space—will hold its flagship Karman Week 2026 from November 2–6 in Cape Town, South Africa. Leading African innovation advisory firm RIIS will serve as the primary host, supported by partner Mura Space, the Global Spaceport Alliance's (GSA) first and only commercial member in Africa.

The annual Karman Week gathering convenes 15 high-impact global space leaders, including astronauts, agency heads, industry executives, and medical doctors, for a week of strategic dialogue, trust-building, and collaboration. This year’s delegation features Karman Fellows from prominent organisations worldwide, including the Space Agencies of the United Kingdom, India, Bahrain, Senegal, and Philippines, as well as key industry groups like the European Space Policy Institute, OroraTech, Center for Space Medicine Research, and AstroAccess.

This diverse international presence highlights the rapidly expanding nature of the global commercial space sector—a growth that requires strong cross-border alignment, as Dr. George Nield, Chairman of the Global Spaceport Alliance, notes:

"As commercial space continues to expand around the world, collaboration across continents has never been more important. We congratulate Mura Space and RIIS for helping bring Karman Week to South Africa and look forward to seeing new partnerships emerge that strengthen the global space ecosystem. The Global Spaceport Alliance is committed to supporting these international connections as we work together to advance spaceport development worldwide." — Dr. George Nield, Chairman, Global Spaceport Alliance

RIIS and the Karman Project share a long-standing relationship; RIIS Chairman and former CEO Davis Cook was selected as a Karman Fellow in 2021. The organisations share a mission of utilising space as a catalyst for sustainable development and innovation, with Karman Week 2026 marking a major milestone in their joint efforts.

For Mura Space, backing this gathering is a natural extension of their goal to position southern Africa as a key player in global aerospace. Frederik de Ridder, CEO of Mura Space, explains the strategic importance of this collaboration:

“We founded Mura with the ambition of launching Africa into the future of space—collaboration and global partnerships are central to this mission. Our investment activities aim to catalyse a globally competitive space access and aerospace ecosystem in southern Africa, servicing global markets. We are excited to support RIIS as the lead host of this prestigious international event in Cape Town, South Africa, and hope the event can serve as a template for the region to host future international space conferences such as the GSA International Spaceport Forum, SmallSat or IAC”.

As the lead host, RIIS views this gathering as a golden opportunity to showcase the continent's untapped potential. Imraan Saloojee, Executive Director at RIIS, expands on what this milestone means for local innovators:

“Hosting Karman Week 2026 in South Africa is an exciting milestone for the continent’s growing role in the global space sector. For RIIS, it represents an important opportunity to strengthen connections between African innovation ecosystems and the international space community, while showcasing the incredible entrepreneurship, scientific talent, and collaborative spirit emerging across the continent. It also provides a unique platform to build meaningful global partnerships that can accelerate the growth and impact of Africa’s space and Earth observation sectors.”

A Fitting Backdrop for Innovation

Cape Town is Africa's most dynamic space innovation hub. From satellite manufacturers and Earth observation specialists to systems engineers and academic labs, the Western Cape hosts a vibrant space ecosystem. The region is also home to world-class public research facilities and institutions, including, the

• ASRI South Africa Suborbital Sounding Rocket Launch Facility at Overberg Test Range, where Mura Space is the exclusive commercialisation partner;

• Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT);

• Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) Cape Town office;

• South African Radio Astronomy Observatory;

• South African National Space Agency (SANSA) Hermanus facility;

• Leading research universities, including the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University.

The Karman Week program will tap into this local network, featuring collaborative sessions with the regional innovation cluster alongside curated cultural activities and focused leadership modules. These immersive experiences aim to build trust and foster cross-border collaboration, with the Karman Fellows serving as the central node.

About Mura Space

Mura Space is a private aerospace investment company on a mission to launch Africa into the future of space access and exploration.

About The Karman Project

The Karman Project is a global non-profit foundation promoting peace and security in space through international cooperation. The foundation’s unique convening power enables it to bring together public and private sector decision-makers to build common understandings and impactful projects that advance sustainability, education, science, security, and capacity building efforts. To date, The Karman Project’s highly curated community of entrepreneurs, astronauts, space executives, researchers, and artists from over 70 nations has initiated projects serving the immediate needs of more than five million people worldwide. The foundation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

Learn more at: https://www.karmanproject.org/

About RIIS

RIIS is an African-focused advisory firm that works at the intersection of innovation, strategy, and ecosystem development. For over 17 years, RIIS has helped shape industries, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and design practical pathways for socio-economic and commercial impact across Africa and beyond. The firm works across frontier sectors and emerging industries, including mining, space, health, sustainability, and finance. They support governments, industry, research institutions, entrepreneurs, and development partners to move from strategy to implementation. RIIS specialises in ecosystem development, systems thinking, industrial and sector strategy, road mapping, organisational transformation, and innovation-led economic development. Through its work, RIIS designs and delivers applied initiatives that strengthen institutions, build competitive sectors, and support more resilient and inclusive economies. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, RIIS also has an office in Nairobi, Kenya, and operates across the continent through long-term, impact-driven partnerships and ecosystem engagements.

Learn more at: https://www.riis.africa/