ICEYE and Abu Dhabi-based Space42 have joined forces to bring SAR satellite manufacturing capabilities to the UAE, the companies announced yesterday.
The joint venture between the Finnish SAR leader and the AI and space tech startup will support the UAE’s Earth Observation Program, which was created in 2023 to improve the nation’s remote sensing and EO capabilities and build a national multi-orbit constellation of SAR satellites.
Laying down roots: Space42, which was formed through a merger of Bayanat and Yahsat in October, has a long history working with ICEYE, including a partnership that launched the UAE’s first SAR satellite, Foresight-1, to LEO in August.
The manufacturing operations and constellation operation services for the joint venture will be based in Abu Dhabi, at Space42’s new Assembly, Integration, Testing (AIT), and LEO mission operations facilities. These facilities are intended to be the epicenter of the country’s SAR ecosystem, including a domestic supply chain that the joint venture will help facilitate.
Win-win: The venture will increase ICEYE’s footprint in the UAE and allow the UAE to build its own self-sustaining industry.
The eventual goal for the joint venture is to build an industry that can provide near-real-time coverage and regular revisits over the Middle East for applications in disaster management, maritime surveillance, and smart mobility.