The agreement is an important component of the AY4 and AY5 procurement programme, the full cost of which is expected to reach approximately AED 3.9 billion [USD 1.1 billion], encompassing spacecraft, ground segment infrastructure, launch and insurance. This announcement follows the signing of a contract between Yahsat and Airbus to design and build AY4 and AY5 based on the Eurostar Neo platform as part of an AED 18.7 billion [USD 5.1 billion] mandate awarded in Q3 2023 to Yahsat by the UAE Government for the provision of satellite communications capacity and managed services for 17 years, primarily on AY4 and AY5. 

Ali Al Hashemi, Group chief executive officer of Yahsat, said: “We are proud to collaborate with SpaceX on the upcoming Falcon 9 launches of our AI Yah 4 and AI Yah 5 satellites. Through the successful completion of the launch contracts with SpaceX and the recently announced design and manufacturing contract with Airbus, Yahsat is well placed to pursue the final contract with the UAE Government, the anchor customer of the Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 programme, as part of its largest ever mandate received in its history from the UAE Government."

Airbus will design and build the AY4 and AY5 satellites based on the Eurostar Neo platform, with each having flexible payloads and benefitting from the strong heritage of the Eurostar family. The flexible multi-band payloads can be fully reconfigured while in orbit, capable of adjusting the coverage area, capacity and frequency “on the fly” to meet evolving mission scenarios.

Both AY4 and AY5 satellites will offer secure governmental communications over a wide geographical area across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia. The new advanced satellites will eventually replace Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2, which were launched in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and based on a previous version of the Airbus-built Eurostar platform.

Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, said: “Today marks a real milestone with Yahsat selecting our pioneering fully flexible satellite technology. Sixteen years ago, we signed our first contract with Yahsat, bringing the first sovereign telecommunications satellite to the UAE. And now, our long-standing relationship is moving up a gear with this contract for two Eurostar Neos, further strengthening Yahsat’s in-orbit resources.”

Ali Al Hashemi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Yahsat, added ‘This is a significant step in Yahsat’s growth trajectory. The Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites will enable us to provide the UAE Government with new cutting-edge solutions. Additionally, the two new LEO satellite platforms will support Yahsat’s future direction of providing multi-orbit satellite solutions to its customers.”

Airbus will design and manufacture both AY4 and AY5 satellites and will also provide ground control segment components. Both spacecraft will have a design life of 15 years and are planned to be launched in 2027 and 2028 respectively.

Airbus is also currently developing the Thuraya 4 (“T4”) satellite to serve both Yahsat’s UAE government customer and Thuraya’s customers. The T4 is also based on the Eurostar Neo platform and is due to be launched in the second half of 2024 and enter service in the second half of 2025.

The development of Airbus’ Eurostar Neo platform and flexible payloads has been supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space agencies across Europe.

Al Romaithi has been selected as a primary crew member for the second analog study of MBRSC’s UAE Analog Programme, as part of NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) Campaign 7 Mission 2. The mission will simulate a journey to Mars, with Al Romaithi and crew members living and working in isolation inside the HERA habitat for 45 days.

Al Romaithi began his career with Etihad Airways in 2007, joining the first batch of Etihad’s cadet pilot programme and became the first Etihad cadet pilot to transition to Captain status.

Al Romaithi holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, alongside three master's degrees obtained from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. These advanced degrees specialise in aerospace and aviation management, safety systems, and space operations, respectively. Driven by his passion for aviation, Al Romaithi continued to pursue his studies while working as a pilot for the national airline, eventually earning his PhD in aviation.

Sponsored by Etihad Airways, he completed his doctoral studies at the renowned Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2014. Al Romaithi's achievement marked a significant milestone, as he became the first Emirati to earn a PhD in this field, and holds the distinction of being the youngest individual and only the eighth person worldwide to attain this prestigious degree.

Dr. Nadia Bastaki, Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer said: "We are immensely proud of Shareef’s accomplishments, which hold great significance not only for Etihad but also for the UAE nation and the aviation industry. From the start, Etihad has believed in Shareef’s abilities and his journey from cadet pilot to space explorer is a testament to his exceptional talent and determination. At Etihad we give flight to ambition and this is testimony to that purpose. 

“We remain committed to supporting and nurturing national talent and pushing boundaries in the aviation industry. Shareef’s academic foundation, combined with over 16 years of experience flying various aircraft types in the Etihad fleet, has prepared him with the expertise and leadership necessary for his selection as a key crew member for the NASA simulated Mars mission. We stand ready to support Shareef as he embarks on this historic mission."

Al Romaithi has extensive experience with Etihad, including more than 9,000 flight hours on multiple aircraft types within the Airbus and Boeing fleets of Etihad Airways.

Reflecting on his journey, Captain Shareef Al Romaithi, said: “Choosing to work with Etihad was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Etihad's ambitious and growing environment allowed me to expand my knowledge and ambitions and provided me with the opportunity to work with a young and technologically advanced fleet. I'm grateful for Etihad for opening the doors for my career and academic pursuits, and for preparing me for this momentous undertaking—shaping my path from the cockpit to space exploration.”

Launched with technology partner Murmuration and mobility data partner Michelin Mobility Intelligence, the holistic Urban Twin monitoring service will provide Serco clients with a complete 360-degree environmental overview, helping them to use the latest AI data-driven insights and analytics to fight climate change at a building, development, project, city or giga city level.  

Using state-of-the-art Earth observation satellite data and other geospatial data sources, companies and governments will be able to proactively put climate protection measures in place during the planning stage of their projects, or retrospectively look to minimise their environmental impact from existing assets.

The new solution will enable companies and governments to monitor the environmental impact of their operation, via AI modelling; it will also enable prediction, through simulating the impact of decisions on different climate-based scenarios, such as dealing with the impacts of rising sea levels or monitoring air quality in congested environments. Furthermore, the data will also help support the conservation of biodiversity, as well as providing the insight to create more sustainable traffic networks. 

With such information fuelled with the latest data, entities are enabled to make better decisions, and be capable of planning for situations and events so they are better prepared in the fight against climate change. 

Commenting on the launch of the Urban Twin Solution at LEAP in Riyadh, Amar Vora, Head of Space at Serco Middle East, said:

“The launch of our Urban Twin Solution is an exciting moment for us at Serco. With 50% of essential climate variables only measurable from space, we must look to the invisible infrastructure of the skies in the fight against climate change. Earth observation satellite data provides us with a bird’s eye view of what is really happening on the ground. It can help us take bold steps to manage many challenges, such as reducing air pollution, acting on greenhouse emissions, to enhancing food security through better monitoring, management, and optimisation of agricultural practices. 

“Through Earth observation data, we can impact a better future. We can predict scenarios that may arise if we don’t act now to take mitigating action, so we can be better placed to make informed decisions to ward against the effects of climate change when it comes to managing the built environment.”

This is a major milestone for the mission’s production phase as it ensures the mission’s safety and success.

Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of UAE Space Agency, said: “Today, the UAE plays a decisive role in shaping the global space exploration map, by adopting ambitious missions and applying the highest quality and safety standards in its space missions.”

Al Qubaisi added: “The final phase of the mission’s design is more than just a technical step. It reflects our strategic vision and continuous development to support the achievement of the mission’s scientific goals and enhance our position as pioneers in this vital sector.”

Al Qubaisi continued: “We affirm our commitment to advancing and making more achievements that contribute to promoting the scientific progress of humanity, and inspiring a new generation of scientists and explorers. We also aim to expand strategic partnerships with scientific and academic institutions locally and globally, to enrich our mission with knowledge and technological resources and increase our chances of success in current and future missions.”

The meetings were attended by the EMA team, UAE Space Agency leadership and employees, strategic and knowledge partners, as well as organisations and institutions from the public and private sector in the UAE.

EMA consists of a six-year spacecraft design and development phase followed by launch and a seven-year mission to the main asteroid belt beyond Mars, performing a series of close flybys to make a series of observations of seven main belt asteroids, and finally landing on Justitia. The MBR Explorer will carry advanced scientific devices that will work together to achieve the mission’s scientific objectives. The mission's objectives focus on understanding the origins and evolution of water-rich asteroids and evaluating the possibility of using asteroids as resources for future space exploration missions.

The mission will measure the surface composition, geology, interior density, temperatures, and thermophysical properties of multiple asteroids in the main asteroid belt to analyse their surface evolution and history.

Mohsen Al Awadhi, Mission Director - Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, said: “EMA’s national team includes graduates of the National Space Academy, one of the initiatives of the National Space Fund, which plays a pivotal role in enhancing the sustainability of national space programs and promoting human development.”

The release celebrates the third year of science data gathering around Mars by the Hope probe and marks the accomplishment of the Mission’s stated science objectives.

His Excellency Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, director general, UAE Space Agency, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, said: “The Emirates Mars Mission was conceived to provide a national challenge that would accelerate the development not only of the UAE’s engineering capabilities, but to disrupt our education, research and innovation ecosystems. There is no doubt at all that it has succeeded in that beyond our wildest expectations. At the outset, the UAE’s leadership made it clear that EMM should make a significant scientific contribution and we can now say that the mission not only fulfilled its original science objectives, but has significantly surpassed them.”

EMM was designed to achieve three objectives that complemented questions posed by the global grouping of Mars scientists and researchers, MEPAG - the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group. Hope set out to monitor the global, diurnal, and seasonal changes that the Martian atmosphere undergoes due to year-to-year variations including those caused by solar forcing that result in atmospheric escape – particularly of Hydrogen and Oxygen and the temporal and spatial behaviour of Mars’ atmosphere.

Hoor Al Mazmi, EMM Project Manager, commented: “We can say with confidence that EMM has blown past its original stated science objectives. Not only have we achieved our goals, and taken Hope into an extended mission, but we have added unique new discoveries, from investigations of new types of aurora through to the most extensive new observations of Mars’ least known moon, Deimos.”

“Hope’s unique elliptical orbit supports these unique observations, giving us a near-complete picture of the planet’s atmospheric dynamics every nine days. That has enabled us to create an incredible depiction of Mars’ changing atmosphere day and night, across the seasons and throughout a full Martian year.” Said Mohsen Al Awadhi, Director of Space Missions Department at UAE Space Agency, “With the probe performing optimally, we performed a manoeuvre to support a season of Deimos observations and I can say today that we still have the option, from an engineering point of view, of further extending the mission.”

The domain of space takes centre stage at World Defense Show 2024, with the introduction of the dedicated Defense Space Arena, highlighting the vital role that space technology will play in shaping the future of national defense strategy globally.

The Defense Space Arena, incorporating the Defense Space Domain and the Space Theatre, is a hub where countries can work together, sharing expertise, experience, and ideas. Leading space companies from all over the world will come together to showcase their latest technologies and collaborate on projects.

Andrew Pearcey, CEO World Defense Show, said: “We are very excited about the possibilities presented by the Defense Space Arena, which go far beyond the five days of our event.”

Representatives from various international private and public sector entities involved in the evolution of space technology will be actively participating in the Space Theatre discussions and presentations.

Pearcey added: “The Defense Space Arena is more than just showcasing the latest technology and innovation in the domain. It facilitates high-level communications between countries and is a hub for discussions and development. It also showcases the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's plans for the future and creates opportunities for them and other countries to work together to use space's potential to make our nations safer and more successful.”

The Space Theatre will run throughout the visitor open days of the event (5-8 February) and will feature global leaders and influencers from industry, military, and academia discussing the challenges and potential of space from the point of view of governance, technological development, interoperability, inclusivity, future talent, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, among others.

The Defense Space Domain, sponsored by the Ministry of Defense, will be open throughout the show, offering an engaging and interactive introduction to space defense development. The vast potential of space capabilities, technologies, and solutions will be highlighted on video screens, with exciting digital content from major industry players including BAE Systems, Boeing Space, Leo Labs, and Lockheed Martin. Physical and digital space assets from both industry and institutions will also be on display, demonstrating the evolution of the technology. Visitors can also enjoy a walkthrough of a Space Station simulation, where digital screens provide information on the role and importance of the space domain.

Pearcey added: “At the WDS Defense Space Arena, the world witnesses the culmination of international collaboration as leading space entities converge, exchange knowledge, and foster partnerships. This unique platform showcases cutting-edge space capabilities and technologies, offering a glimpse into the forefront of space advancements.

Entry to the Defense Space Arena, Space Theatre, and Defense Space Domain is part of the general entry ticket. Places for the event in February in Riyadh are now limited but still available.