The Scoop
Abu Dhabi-based Orbitworks, a space technology company, is planning a $1 billion investment to expand its satellite network over the next five years after securing its first deal with a European government, its chief executive told Semafor.
The firm, which is linked to Abu Dhabi national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed’s International Holding Co. (IHC), will launch its first satellite in October and aims to deploy nine more next year as it builds an artificial intelligence-powered Earth observation constellation. A further 40 satellites are planned within five years, CEO Hamdullah Mohib said in an interview.
Orbitworks recently signed an agreement with France’s space agency to manufacture and launch satellites, a step that supports the UAE’s ambition to become one of the world’s 10 largest space economies.
“When we were starting there were a lot of doubts. People didn’t think of the Middle East as a place for high-tech manufacturing, but now we’re showing we can compete on the international stage,” Mohib said. “We have customers in the UAE already, and this agreement with the French government adds to our credibility.”
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Orbitworks has invested about $200 million in a manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi that can produce 10 satellites a year, with capacity to scale to 50. The company was established through a partnership between US-based Loft Orbital and Abu Dhabi’s Marlan Space, an IHC affiliate.
Mohib said the firm partnered with US companies rather than Chinese suppliers because the latter “would limit our ability to then sell to US, European, or other Chinese customers, and we want to build a globally competitive company.”
The company’s Altair satellite constellation will, among other things, be used to monitor deforestation, climate patterns, and disaster response, using a combination of space-based sensors and AI. Orbitworks is exploring funding options for its $1 billion satellite launch plan, which could include support from Abu Dhabi and French government entities.
Notable
- Oman’s Etlaq Spaceport is positioning itself to become a hub for research institutions and commercial rocket firms operating in both suborbital and deeper space, leaning on the government to slash approval times for commercial space launches to as little as 45 days, Semafor reported in October.