2 October 2026
Altair-1, the first commercial satellite built in the UAE, is in orbit. Abu Dhabi’s Orbitworks designed, assembled, integrated and tested the satellite at its 50,000-square-foot factory in Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), and SpaceX launched it on the Transporter-18 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 1 October 2026 at 11:32 a.m. Pacific time, which was 22:32 on the same evening in the UAE. The satellite separated from the rocket, acquired a signal and is now in commissioning. Altair-1 is the first of ten satellites in the UAE’s first commercial AI-enabled Earth observation constellation: each carries five types of sensors and onboard NVIDIA GPUs, and the remaining nine are due to follow through 2027.
What happened on 1 October
Transporter-18 lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket at 18:32 GMT and carried 130 payloads to a sun-synchronous low Earth orbit, according to Space.com. The rocket’s upper stage released the payloads over roughly 11 minutes, starting 54.5 minutes after launch, and the first stage returned to Vandenberg for a landing on its 25th flight. Orbitworks has confirmed that Altair-1 deployed, acquired a signal and is operating nominally, and that it has entered commissioning, the period of in-orbit checks before a satellite goes into regular service. Loft Orbital, the San Francisco company that co-founded Orbitworks, integrated the satellite. Altair-1 had been flown from the UAE to California in August.
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Launch | 1 October 2026, 22:32 UAE time, SpaceX Transporter-18 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California |
| Status on 2 October | signal acquired, nominal, in commissioning |
| Constellation size | 10 satellites, the other nine through 2027 |
| Sensors per satellite | 5: optical, shortwave infrared, thermal, hyperspectral, radio frequency |
| Onboard processing | NVIDIA GPUs, analysis-ready data within minutes |
| Revisit at full strength | any point on Earth roughly every four hours, in 2027 |
| Factory | 50,000 sq ft in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi, opened in November 2025 |
| Production capacity | up to 50 satellites a year, roughly one a week |
What Altair-1 carries and what the constellation is for
Each Altair satellite carries five integrated sensors: optical, shortwave infrared, thermal, hyperspectral and radio frequency. Onboard NVIDIA GPUs turn the raw data into analysis-ready intelligence within minutes, instead of the hours that ground-based processing typically takes. Because the satellites process data at the edge, Orbitworks says they can act on what they detect in real time, fast enough to catch a wildfire at its first heat signature or to locate a vessel that is operating clandestinely.
When all ten satellites are in orbit in 2027, the constellation is designed to revisit any point on Earth roughly every four hours. Orbitworks lists the target uses as disaster response, maritime awareness, environmental monitoring, food security, infrastructure surveillance and national security.
Built in KEZAD: the Orbitworks factory
Altair-1 was built at the Orbitworks facility in KEZAD, which opened in November 2025 as the first plant in the Middle East dedicated to commercial satellite production. The 50,000-square-foot site includes a 15,000-square-foot ISO-class cleanroom, electromagnetic interference (EMI) chambers, thermal vacuum systems and shaker tables. At full scale it can produce up to 50 satellites a year, roughly one a week.
The company is registered as Orbitworks Satellites Manufacturing L.L.C. S.P.C. and was established in 2024. It is a joint venture between Marlan Space, a UAE space investor-operator and a subsidiary of IHC, and Loft Orbital, which has flown more than 25 missions. We covered the IHC deal for Marlan Space in our article on the 80% stake.
Who buys the data and on what terms
Orbitworks offers two ways in. A customer can own an Altair satellite and the data it produces, or access the same capability as a service, tasking the satellites and licensing their intelligence directly. The company names its anchor customers and end users as multiple entities of the French government, the Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and says it is in discussions with prospective customers in North America, Africa and Asia for the remaining capacity. Orbitworks has not published prices, and it says high-resolution imagery will be released to media once commissioning is confirmed.
How Altair fits the UAE space strategy
Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, linked the launch to the National Space Strategy 2031 and to the goal of making the UAE one of the world’s ten leading space economies by 2031. Dr Hamdullah Mohib, Chief Executive Officer of both Orbitworks and Marlan Space, said that two years ago Orbitworks was an idea and that “the UAE is no longer only a buyer of space capability; it is a builder of it.” Pierre-Damien Vaujour, CEO of Loft Orbital, said the launch paves the way for 10 more satellites over the next 12 months and 50 more over the next few years.
Altair-1 is the first step of a larger programme. On 9 September 2026, Marlan Space and Loft Orbital announced a USD 1 billion (about AED 3.67 billion) consortium with Mistral, BlackSky and MaiaSpace to build AI satellite infrastructure whose initial phase comprises 50 satellites; we explained that deal in our piece on Altair-Next Gen. Orbitworks places both programmes alongside national initiatives such as Operation 300bn and Make it in the Emirates. Earlier, in August, we reported how Altair-1 was shipped to the US ahead of the October launch.
What it means for companies in the UAE
For most businesses the launch is not an immediate change in rules or costs. It matters in three practical ways. First, a UAE-based supplier of Earth observation data now exists, with a service model that does not require buying a satellite: companies whose work depends on maritime awareness, environmental monitoring, food security or infrastructure monitoring can follow when Orbitworks opens tasking and licensing beyond its anchor customers. Second, the KEZAD factory shows that advanced manufacturing can be licensed and run from an Abu Dhabi industrial free zone, which matters for suppliers of components, testing, software and analytics. Third, a growing cluster of space companies around Marlan Space, Orbitworks and their partners creates demand for specialist staff, contractors and service providers.
If you plan to enter this market, the first decision is structure: an industrial free zone such as KEZAD, another free zone, or a mainland licence. Our UAE company formation guide walks through the options, and the choice affects which activities you can license, where you can sell and how you hire.
- Altair-1: in orbit since 1 October 2026, commissioning under way
- First high-resolution imagery: after commissioning is confirmed
- Remaining nine Altair satellites: through 2027
- Full constellation revisit: roughly every four hours from 2027
- Customer access: own a satellite, or buy tasking and data licences as a service
- Next programme: Altair-Next Gen, USD 1 billion, initial phase of 50 satellites
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital helps founders and companies set up in the UAE, including in Abu Dhabi free zones. We compare the free zone and mainland options for your activity, prepare the licence application and the documents, and take the process through to the issued licence with our company setup service. After registration we help with the corporate bank account and with residence visas for founders and staff.
Conclusion
Altair-1 makes the UAE a country that builds commercial satellites, not only one that buys them. The satellite was made in KEZAD, launched on 1 October 2026 and is now in commissioning; nine more are due through 2027. For businesses, the next concrete milestone is the end of commissioning and the opening of data access.
Source: Zawya, Orbitworks press release, Space.com.
FAQ
What is Altair-1?
Altair-1 is the first commercial satellite built in the UAE. Orbitworks designed, assembled, integrated and tested it at its factory in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi. It is an AI-enabled Earth observation satellite with five sensor types and onboard NVIDIA GPUs, and it is the first of ten satellites in the Altair constellation.
When did Altair-1 launch and is it working?
SpaceX launched Altair-1 on the Transporter-18 mission from Vandenberg, California, on 1 October 2026 at 22:32 UAE time. Orbitworks reported that the satellite deployed, acquired a signal and is operating nominally. It is now in commissioning, the period of in-orbit checks before regular service.
When will the full Altair constellation be in orbit?
The other nine Altair satellites are due to launch through 2027. At full strength in 2027 the ten satellites are designed to revisit any point on Earth roughly every four hours. The Orbitworks factory in KEZAD can build up to 50 satellites a year.
Can a company in the UAE buy Altair data?
Orbitworks offers two models: owning an Altair satellite and its data, or accessing the capability as a service through tasking and data licensing. Its named anchor customers are entities of the French government, the Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. Prices have not been published, and imagery is to be released after commissioning.
