UAE AI satellites project strengthens Abu Dhabi’s space ambitions
UAE AI satellites are set to become a major component of a new international space programme involving the United Arab Emirates, France and a consortium of global technology and aerospace companies.
UAE-based Marlan Space and Loft Orbital are leading a consortium that plans to invest $1 billion in France to develop the Altair-Next Gen programme, which will initially consist of 50 satellites equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities and multiple types of sensors.
The satellites will be manufactured in Abu Dhabi at Orbitworks, a joint venture established by Marlan Space and Loft Orbital in 2024. The company operates a purpose-built manufacturing facility in the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), which has been developed to support high-volume production of commercial satellite constellations.
The programme was announced and signed at the International Space Summit in Paris in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting the growing strategic relationship between the UAE and France in advanced technology, space infrastructure and industrial investment.
The project is expected to combine UAE investment and manufacturing capabilities with French and broader European space technology, supply chains and expertise.
50 satellites to form an AI-powered constellation
The initial Altair-Next Gen constellation will comprise 50 satellites carrying radar, optical and other sensors. They are expected to serve French, European and Emirati government users, as well as commercial and sovereign customers around the world.
Rather than functioning simply as traditional observation platforms, the satellites will be designed to analyse data while still in orbit.
This approach could significantly reduce the time required to turn satellite observations into actionable information.
Traditional satellite systems often transmit large quantities of raw imagery and other observations back to Earth, where the information is processed before users receive the relevant results. Altair-Next Gen is designed to perform much of that analysis directly in space.
As a result, the system could identify significant events onboard and transmit relevant information or alerts within seconds, rather than requiring users to wait hours for data to be downloaded and processed on the ground.
This capability is particularly important for applications where rapid response can make a significant difference.
AI to support maritime security and disaster response
The Altair-Next Gen constellation is expected to support a range of applications, including maritime domain awareness, wildfire detection, disaster response and monitoring of ports and critical infrastructure.
For maritime users, AI-enabled satellites could analyse observations to identify unusual activity, monitor vessels and provide information about developments across large areas.
For wildfire detection, onboard processing could allow satellites to identify signs of a developing fire and transmit alerts quickly. The same principle could be applied during natural disasters, where rapid access to information can help governments and emergency-response organisations understand changing conditions.
The satellites could also monitor critical infrastructure and ports, providing another layer of situational awareness for governments and commercial operators.
With 50 satellites operating as a constellation, Altair-Next Gen is intended to offer continuous and more persistent observation capabilities.
A larger constellation increases the likelihood that one of the satellites will be positioned near an area of interest when an event occurs. This could provide a substantial advantage over systems that depend on individual satellites passing over a particular location at relatively long intervals.
AI applications to be delivered through an application store
One of the distinctive elements of the project is the planned AI application store.
The platform is intended to allow users to select AI models from different providers and operate them on shared satellite infrastructure.
This model could make it easier for different customers to use the same underlying constellation for different applications without requiring a separate satellite system for every mission.
Artificial intelligence models could be deployed according to individual requirements, potentially allowing the satellites to perform specialised tasks based on the needs of governments, businesses or other users.
The consortium is also planning to introduce natural-language interaction with the satellite infrastructure, enabling users to provide tasks using ordinary language rather than relying exclusively on conventional satellite-control processes.
Mistral is joining the consortium to deploy AI models directly onboard the satellites alongside their sensors. The technology is intended to enable the constellation to interpret observations and receive tasks through natural-language instructions.
Abu Dhabi emerges as a satellite manufacturing hub
The programme also represents an important development for the UAE’s ambition to expand its domestic space manufacturing capabilities.
Orbitworks’ facility in Abu Dhabi has been designed for high-volume satellite production and provides the capacity required to expand the Altair programme from an initial group of 10 satellites to the planned 50-satellite constellation.
The facility will also support satellite operations, creating an integrated manufacturing and operational capability in the UAE.
The project is therefore not limited to purchasing satellites from international suppliers. Instead, it combines UAE-based investment, engineering and manufacturing with international technology partnerships.
Marlan Space and Orbitworks Chief Executive Officer Dr Hamdullah Mohib said the project reflects a long-term vision in which intelligence moves into orbit and the UAE becomes a location where that technology is developed and manufactured.
He described the 50 satellites as groups with different capabilities working together as a single system, positioning the UAE as a provider of satellite services rather than solely a customer.
The programme is also expected to contribute to the development of engineering capabilities, intellectual property and domestic supply chains in the UAE.
IHC expands investment in space and deep technology
The announcement comes shortly after International Holding Company (IHC) announced an agreement to acquire an 80 per cent stake in Marlan Space.
The transaction represents another step in IHC’s expansion into deep technology and the space economy, while also giving the group a greater role in the development of advanced satellite infrastructure.
IHC CEO Syed Basar Shueb said Altair-Next Gen reflects the type of technology-driven platform that the company wants to develop through Marlan Space.
He said the combination of advanced satellite infrastructure, artificial intelligence, sovereign capabilities and international partnerships could position the UAE and France at the forefront of the rapidly developing space economy.
The investment also demonstrates how capital, technology and international industrial partnerships can be combined to develop strategic infrastructure with both commercial and government applications.
Loft Orbital brings satellite and AI expertise
Loft Orbital will provide technology and operational expertise across several areas of the programme, including satellite platforms, onboard artificial intelligence, software, mission infrastructure, deployment and constellation operations.
The company already operates more than 100 payloads and 20 AI missions in orbit, giving it experience in deploying artificial intelligence applications in space.
Loft Orbital CEO Pierre-Damien Vaujour said the company has spent several years working on AI applications in space and developing systems for orchestrating workflows.
He said the new constellation would provide partners developing agentic AI workflows with satellite infrastructure capable of supporting advanced applications in orbit.
The first satellites manufactured in Abu Dhabi are expected to launch within weeks, marking an early operational milestone for the programme.
The launches will also provide an opportunity to demonstrate the performance of satellites manufactured at Orbitworks’ Abu Dhabi facility and the capabilities of their onboard AI systems.
BlackSky selected for high-resolution optical imaging
BlackSky is another major partner in the programme and will provide high-resolution optical satellite capabilities.
The company has been selected as the high-resolution optical provider for the constellation, adding detailed Earth-observation capabilities to the wider sensor architecture.
BlackSky CEO Brian O’Toole said the company was proud to have been selected as a key partner and highlighted the on-orbit performance of its optical technology as an important capability for the AI-enabled constellation.
Combining high-resolution optical imagery with onboard artificial intelligence could allow the system to identify and interpret specific events without requiring all raw imagery to be transmitted to Earth.
MaiaSpace selected as preferred launch partner
MaiaSpace has been selected as the preferred launch partner for the programme once its launch services become commercially available.
The selection gives the programme a planned European launch pathway as the constellation moves toward larger-scale deployment.
The use of multiple European and UAE-based partners also underlines the international nature of Altair-Next Gen, with investment, manufacturing, satellite technology, AI, Earth observation and launch capabilities being brought together under a single programme.
UAE seeks bigger role in global space economy
The Altair-Next Gen programme could mark an important step in the UAE’s transition from a major investor and user of space technology to a manufacturer and exporter of advanced satellite services.
Manufacturing 50 AI-enabled satellites in Abu Dhabi would strengthen the country’s domestic space industrial base while creating opportunities to develop technical expertise, intellectual property and supporting supply chains.
The programme also reflects a broader shift in the satellite industry, where artificial intelligence is increasingly being moved from ground-based processing systems directly onto spacecraft.
By analysing data in orbit, satellites can potentially reduce the amount of information that needs to be transmitted to Earth and deliver important findings more quickly.
For applications such as maritime awareness, disaster response, wildfire detection and critical infrastructure monitoring, that reduction in processing time could be particularly valuable.
With France providing an important investment and market component, the UAE contributing capital and manufacturing capabilities, and international companies supplying AI, optical, satellite and launch technologies, Altair-Next Gen is designed as a cross-border space infrastructure programme.
If successfully deployed at scale, the 50-satellite constellation could strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as an emerging centre for commercial satellite manufacturing and AI-enabled space services, while deepening the strategic technology partnership between the UAE and France.
The first Abu Dhabi-built satellites are expected to launch within weeks, providing the first major test of the technology and manufacturing capabilities behind what the consortium describes as one of the world’s largest AI satellite infrastructure initiatives.
