The first commercial satellite to be built entirely in the UAE was launched on Friday in what has been hailed as a major leap forward in the nation's quest to be a global leader in the space sector.
Altair-1, designed, assembled and tested in Abu Dhabi, blasted off from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California aboard the Transporter-18 ride-share mission with SpaceX at 11.32am Gulf Standard Time.
Altair-1 heralds the start of the Altair constellation – a cluster of 10 AI-powered satellites developed by Abu Dhabi-based Orbitworks to serve as a high-tech Earth observation network.
The cutting-edge satellite has already beamed a signal back to Earth and has started operations. The nine remaining Altair satellites are primed for lift-off next year.
Orbitworks was formed as a partnership between Abu Dhabi's Marlan Space and San Francisco’s Loft Orbital and opened a satellite assembly, integration and testing centre in Kezad.
Milestone moment
Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and chairman of the UAE Space Agency, congratulated the Orbitworks team for its success.
“The launch of Altair-1 reflects the strength of the UAE’s national space ecosystem and its growing capacity to develop and manufacture advanced space technologies,” he said.
“Guided by the National Space Strategy 2031, we are bringing together research, industry and investment to enable national companies to innovate, grow and contribute to economic diversification.
“Altair-1 also demonstrates how capabilities developed in the UAE can deliver solutions with commercial value beyond our borders. By opening new markets and international partnerships for UAE companies, the launch will strengthen the country’s contribution to the global space sector and advance our ambition to become one of the world’s 10 leading space economies by 2031.”
Boosting disaster response
Each Altair satellite carries five integrated sensors: optical, short-wave infrared, thermal, hyperspectral and radio frequency.
When it reaches full strength in 2027, the constellation will have the capacity to revisit any point on Earth roughly every four hours.
Operating in real time and autonomously, the satellites process data instantly, and have the ability to identify a wildfire in its early stages and locate rogue vessels involved in clandestine operations at sea.
Altair-1 will support disaster response, maritime awareness, environmental monitoring, food security, infrastructure surveillance, and national security applications
“Two years ago, Orbitworks was an idea. Today, a satellite built in Abu Dhabi is in orbit,” said Dr Hamdullah Mohib, chief executive of Orbitworks and Marlan Space.
“The UAE is no longer only a buyer of space capability; it is a builder of it. Altair-1 is the first of 10 and the start of a future in which customers see, decide and act on their own terms, with intelligence created in orbit.”
Orbitworks’ 4,645-square-metre complex was inaugurated in November as the first in the Middle East dedicated to commercial satellite production. It can produce up to 50 satellites a year at full scale, about one a week.
Pierre-Damien Vaujour, chief executive of Loft Orbital, said the launch highlighted the UAE's emerging role in the global space race.
“We are proud to have been a small contributor to this landmark achievement in Abu Dhabi,” said Mr Vaujour. “The UAE space ecosystem has been growing steadily on solid foundations for decades and it is now ready for lift-off.
“The launch of the first satellite produced at Orbitworks’ Kezad Abu Dhabi facility paves the way for 10 more over the next 12 months and 50 more over the next few years. This moment shows the world what the UAE has quietly built and that it is ready to lead globally in AI-powered satellite constellation production and operations.”
