A new satellite manufacturing facility capable of producing up to 50 satellites a year has opened in Abu Dhabi, strengthening the UAE’s efforts to build a domestic space industry.
Orbitworks, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based Marlan Space and San Francisco’s Loft Orbital, has launched its satellite assembly, integration and testing centre in the Kezad economic zone. The 4,645-square-metre facility can currently handle satellites weighing up to 500 kilograms.
Dr Hamdullah Mohib, acting chief executive of Orbitworks and chief executive of Marlan Space, said the aim is to make the UAE a satellite exporter rather than an importer.
“Our focus, when we set up this facility, was to be a large, commercially driven entity”, he said.
“It has been the ambition for many in this region to try to build a capability like this. It's very much needed because the space race is growing and the need for these satellites is increasing".
He added that the new factory is “an enabler for our future growth in the UAE and offering solutions [so we no longer have to] import from other countries".
Orbitworks currently employs 35 staff, with plans to increase that to 53 by the end of the year. Dr Mohib said the facility is already creating high-skill jobs for both Emiratis and foreign specialists.
“We are creating very high-level, high-tech jobs”, he said.
“They are not jobs for ordinary factory workers. They are very high-skilled jobs and will have a significant impact on the economy. We are also training Emirati staff so that knowledge-transfer takes place over the next few years. Our first employee was an Emirati. We will continue to grow".
The company is also developing its own satellite constellation, called Altair, Arabic for “the flying one”.
The constellation will include 10 satellites designed to deliver near real-time Earth observation data. Each satellite will feature optical, infrared, thermal and radio frequency sensors with on-board AI processing.
“These multiple sensors can turn the satellites into information providers, not just image takers”, Dr Mohib said. The system could support industries such as energy, agriculture, and logistics by providing immediate data on events or conditions detected by the satellites. “Instead of taking pictures and sending them every hour, the satellite could see if there is a leak or damage to any of the installations”, he added, noting that companies such as Adnoc could benefit from such technology.
The first Altair satellite is expected to be operational in the second half of next year. Orbitworks has already secured its first international client from western Europe.
Dr Mohib said the company aims to combine “the speed and mindset of a start-up” with the long-term vision of the UAE.
“Satellites are usually built over a period of 18 months to three years”, he said.
“We have not only built the facility, but also a team, and we have started designing and engineering our first constellation".
The launch event was attended by senior members of the UAE space community, including the UAE Space Agency, Space42, the Edge Group and Emirati astronauts Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammad Al Mulla.
Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said, “This project supports efforts to build a sustainable space economy based on knowledge and innovation and driven by advanced technology".