The UAE is all set to deport Altair-1 from Dubai to the United States ahead of its scheduled October launch. The satellite was transported from Dubai World Central to Los Angeles on an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777 freighter.
Altair-1 is developed and manufactured in the UAE by Orbitworks and will become the first satellite in the company’s planned 10-satellite Altair constellation. The mission highlights the UAE’s growing focus on developing homegrown space capabilities and commercialising advanced satellite technology.
Altair is being built as a multi-sensor Earth observation system incorporating optical, infrared, thermal, and radio frequency sensing along with AI onboard processing. The idea behind this design is not only to process data from sensors and send images but to build intelligence from satellite images.
Some of the applications of Altair include environmental monitoring, disaster management, land and coastal use analysis, maritime domain awareness, and resource and infrastructure assessment. Some more applications have been identified by Orbitworks, covering agricultural, energy, and smart city management areas.
Altair-1 represents the beginning of a larger constellation planned by Orbitworks. The company unveiled the 10-satellite system in 2025. Each spacecraft is designed to combine multiple sensing technologies with edge computing for processing data in orbit.
The mission also demonstrates the UAE’s aim to go beyond satellite operation and become a producer of commercial space technology. Orbitworks, a joint venture between Marlan Space and Loft Orbital, is building the constellation in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi facility covers 50,000 square feet of space and has a dedicated clean room as well as assembly, integration, and testing capabilities. According to the company, the facility has the capacity to produce up to 50 satellites per year.
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