The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is making significant strides in the space industry, fueled by its ambitious goals and generous funding. An Emirati royal family-affiliated holding company is injecting over $100 million into a new joint venture called Orbitworks, which aims to become the first commercial firm in the UAE to mass manufacture satellites. Majority ownership of Orbitworks lies with Marlan Space, an Abu Dhabi-based space company affiliated with the International Holding Company (IHC), which is primarily controlled by the ruling royal family of Abu Dhabi.
The UAE has been actively investing in its space capabilities and forging partnerships with other countries and commercial players. Despite being a relatively young agency, the UAE Space Agency (UAESA) has spent billions to foster homegrown space capabilities. In 2019, the UAE made history by sending its first astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS), and just two years later, it successfully placed a probe into Martian orbit, joining a select group of nations with such achievements.
Apart from UAESA, there are several other key players in the UAE’s space ecosystem. Space42, a merger of Emirati satellite firm Yahsat and data analytics company Bayanat, and the EDGE Group, a large industrial prime, are prominent contributors to the nation’s space endeavors. Additionally, there are universities and research institutions like the National Space and Science Technology Center that contribute to the country’s growing space industry. The UAE is now eager to deploy satellite constellations and establish in-house satellite manufacturing capabilities.
Loft Orbital, a San Francisco-based startup, plays a crucial role in the joint venture with Marlan Space. Loft specializes in buying satellite buses in bulk and flying payloads for customers. They use a standardized modular payload adapter to integrate the customer’s hardware with the spacecraft, handling launch integration and spacecraft operations. Loft also offers “virtual missions,” allowing customers to deploy applications on orbit that leverage onboard sensors, compute, and cameras.
According to Pierre-Damien Vaujour, CEO of Loft Orbital, the company’s flexible hardware will enable the joint venture to collaborate with various emerging players in the Middle East’s space ecosystem. Vaujour expressed his long-standing interest in the UAE’s space industry, emphasizing Loft’s desire to contribute to the local ecosystem. Loft’s expertise in production, operations, and satellite technology will serve as a valuable asset to the joint venture.
Orbitworks aims to manufacture up to fifty 500-kilogram satellites annually, with the necessary hardware for the first ten satellites already procured. The joint venture will operate out of a 50,000 square-foot facility in Abu Dhabi, and the assembly, integration, and testing of the first satellite platform are expected to be completed by early 2025.
Vaujour assured that Loft Orbital has taken the necessary steps to comply with U.S. regulations and export licenses through its agreements with Marlan. Loft’s separate entity, Loft Federal, will continue to fulfill classified contracts for U.S. national security customers. Vaujour emphasized that the creation of Orbitworks represents a new mandate to become the national champion for satellite constellation production and operation in the UAE. While starting with a small scope, the joint venture has ambitious plans for future scalability to meet the country’s and region’s aspirations in the space industry.
The partnership between Marlan Space and Loft Orbital, supported by the UAE’s substantial investment in its space sector, demonstrates the nation’s commitment to advancing its space capabilities and becoming a significant player in the global space industry. With the establishment of Orbitworks, the UAE is taking a significant step towards achieving its goal of domestic satellite manufacturing and contributing to the growth of the Middle East’s space ecosystem.
