Low Earth orbit: Why the next big innovation battleground is out of this world


Kelsey Warner
  • English
  • Arabic

Low Earth orbit, a band of space between 200 and 2,000 kilometres above Earth’s surface, is becoming the biggest battleground for supremacy as the next decade of innovation looms.

Constellations of more than 50,000 active satellites could be orbiting overhead in LEO within the next 10 years – providing high-speed Internet to billions of people – spurred by technological advances and a diverse list of investors including Mubadala Investment Company, the UK government, Amazon and Elon Musk.

"The satellite industry is in the throes of a radical transformation," Adnan Al Muhairi, deputy chief technical officer at UAE satellite firm Yahsat, which is wholly owned by Mubadala, told The National.

A number of factors are fuelling the new space race: a massive market opportunity to connect the remaining 40 per cent of the world’s population that has no internet; the rise of the Internet of Things, with 30 billion devices expected to be connected by 2023; and a pressing need to better understand the planet to tackle climate change, which can be facilitated by better imagery and AI-powered observation tools from LEO.

Morgan Stanley estimated that the satellite broadband market could be worth as much as $400 billion (Dh1.4 trillion) by 2040—40 per cent of the estimated $1tn global space industry that year.

New technology is bringing these market opportunities within reach for the first time, Mr Al Muhairi said, and enticing entrepreneurs to the satellite industry.

LEO is more than 50 times closer than where traditional internet satellites orbit, enabling newer smaller satellites to send data back to Earth at speeds comparable to fibre-optic and broadband networks.

“The promise of triggering technological and commercial breakthroughs and new actors – including developing countries, private firms and even individuals – are now active in an arena once dominated almost exclusively by the US and Russia,” Mr Al Muhairi said.

Reducing the satellite size is also lowering the threshold to invest within the space. Exponentially increasing computing power means satellites are being built much smaller, making them more cost-effective to produce and launch, and are enabling new use cases such as earth observation and to enable IoT, Khaled Al Hashmi, director of the UAE's National Space Science and Technology Centre (NSSTC) and an adviser to the director general of UAE Space Agency, told The National.

Manufacturing small satellites using 3D-printing is also bringing costs down while breakthroughs by SpaceX, Boeing and some smaller start-ups to develop reusable launchers are reducing the cost of launches while increasing the possible number of satellites that can go up into orbit, Mr Al Muhairi said.

Partners are critical, but there are some things that we want to own ourselves rather than buy.

Dock stations to fix satellites, he added, will allow companies to extend their life and upgrade them, where presently the only solution to a broken or outdated satellite is to let it ‘de-orbit’, aka, let it become space junk.

It is estimated that a half million pieces of manmade objects are orbiting Earth, but only a tiny fraction – around 2,600 – are in-use satellites, according to an active database maintained by the Union of Concerned Scientists. According to Nasa, the US Department of Defence “maintains a highly accurate satellite catalogue on objects in Earth orbit that are larger than a softball”. But being able to maintain and bring satellites back to Earth would be a game-changer for the industry.

Mr Al Muhairi said there are “a few players in the game with serious plans”: Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Amazon, Canadian satellite provider Telesat and OneWeb, which was acquired by the UK government and India's Bharti Airtel.

These players have committed billions of dollars and are expected to have operational satellite constellations in LEO in a few years, “but not immediately”, Mr Al Muhairi said. Projects have been constantly delayed, but the first commercially available LEO constellation could be offering global service in the next three to four years.

Amazon’s planned fleet of 3,236 Internet-connecting satellites gained regulatory approval in the US earlier this month.

The company has pledged to invest at least $10bn to provide "reliable, affordable broadband service to unserved and underserved communities around the world”.

"A project of this scale requires significant effort and resources, and, due to the nature of [low-Earth orbit] constellations, it is not the kind of initiative that can start small. You have to commit," Amazon said in a statement following the regulatory approval.

Starlink, the satellite venture started by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Amazon’s chief competitor, is aiming to launch 12,000 to 42,000 satellites for the same purpose.

But experts predict they won’t be alone for long.

"The price points to enter the market and launch satellites is much lower," Charles Anderson, a managing partner at SparkLabs Connex in Singapore and an expert on emerging technologies, told The National. "While [Jeff] Bezos and Musk have an advantage because they have deep pockets, you will see offerings from many countries.

“The term ‘democratisation of space’ keeps getting thrown around - and I’m a big believer in that,” Mr Anderson added.

Earlier this month, the UAE’s Tawazun Economic Council tied up with aerospace manufacturer Airbus and the NSSTC to open a satellite testing and assembly centre in Al Ain.

The growing UAE space sector has provided 3,000 jobs so far. The new project will create 32 jobs, with 22 of the new employees to be Emirati. Workers will receive training at Airbus facilities in France as well as locally.

“We’re very busy,”  Mr Al Hashmi, of the NSSTC, said.

In addition to the facility with Airbus, the NSSTC has three satellites under development for research and development purposes, with the first launching in the first half of next year.

“Our model at NSSTC is all about building local capabilities in the UAE,” Mr Al Hashmi said. “Partners are critical, but there are some things that we want to own ourselves rather than buy.”

One good thing about space, he added, is that it does not require a large workforce. “This is good for the UAE because we are a small country. Getting into space doesn’t require a lot of man hours.”

But the innovations to come out of these satellites are nearly infinite, he said. Identifying new business models, developing AI algorithms to make observational satellites better predictors and expanding access to Internet-connected tools are all opportunities. He added that “soon” the centre would be coordinating with the new Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to collaborate on R&D projects.

Mr Anderson agrees with this approach.

“The real game isn’t getting the satellites into space,” he said. “LEO satellites are an enabler not a solution.”

if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

GCC-UK%20Growth
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England XI for second Test

Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, Ben Stokes, Joe Root (c), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes (wk), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, James Anderson

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
88 Video's most popular rentals

Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.  

Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.

Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.

The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

It's up to you to go green

Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.

“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”

When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.

He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.

“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.

One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.  

The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.

Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.

But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”

Dubai Rugby Sevens

November 30, December 1-2
International Vets
Christina Noble Children’s Foundation fixtures

Thursday, November 30:

10.20am, Pitch 3, v 100 World Legends Project
1.20pm, Pitch 4, v Malta Marauders

Friday, December 1:

9am, Pitch 4, v SBA Pirates

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours 
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

What is the definition of an SME?

SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.

A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors. 

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets