First UAE-built commercial satellite launches successfully

Altair-1, the first commercial satellite built in the UAE, has successfully launched into orbit, marking a major milestone for the country's growing private space sector.

The satellite lifted off aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and successfully deployed after launch.

Operators confirmed that Altair-1 acquired a signal and has entered its commissioning phase.

Built, assembled, integrated and tested at Orbitworks' facility in Abu Dhabi, Altair-1 is the first satellite in the Altair constellation, a planned network of ten AI-enabled Earth observation satellites expected to be completed by 2027.

Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, described the launch as a reflection of the UAE's growing ability to develop and manufacture advanced space technologies, highlighting the role of the private sector in strengthening the national space ecosystem.

Each satellite in the constellation is equipped with five integrated sensors and onboard artificial intelligence capabilities designed to process data in orbit, providing rapid insights for disaster response, maritime monitoring, environmental protection, food security, infrastructure surveillance and national security applications.

At full capacity, the Altair constellation is expected to revisit any point on Earth roughly every four hours, providing near real-time Earth observation capabilities.

Altair-1 was built at Orbitworks’ 50,000-square-foot facility in Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), inaugurated in November 2025 as the first of its kind in the Middle East dedicated to commercial satellite production.

Orbitworks is a joint venture between Marlan Space, a UAE-based space company and subsidiary of IHC, and Loft Orbital.

Falcon 9 launches the 18th Transporter rideshare mission and delivers 130 payloads to orbit pic.twitter.com/VQd0RmbmA6

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 1, 2026