UAE-based Space42 says it successfully launched its Thuraya 4 (T4) geostationary satellite, which it says will be key for launching new services across Africa, Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.
The T4 satellite was launched on Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Space42 is now in the process of guiding the satellite to reach its operational geostationary orbit at 44° East, which is set to be completed in a few months.
In the pipeline since 2020 – and billed by Space42 as one of the largest MSS communication satellites produced – Thuraya 4 is built on the all-electric Airbus Eurostar Neo platform, sporting a 12 meter L-band antenna and a payload with on-board processing. Space42 said this will provide advanced routing flexibility of up to 3,200 channels with dynamic power allocation over a large number of spot beams, providing more security, faster speeds and expanded coverage across Africa, Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.
Space42’s MD Karim Michel Sabbagh said T4 – which is the company’s sixth geostationary satellite – will play a role in its plans to launch more than 15 new products to capitalise on rapid growth in use cases across various sectors, including defence, government and enterprise.
“The launch of Thuraya 4 … lays the foundation for our next-generation mobile satellite solutions capabilities, expanding our offering to our partners and customers and creating new avenues for innovation,” he said in a statement.
The launch of T4 follows last month’s news that Space42 signed a AED18.7 billion (US$5.1 billion) contract with the UAE government to provide satellite services until 2043, which will also help fund construction of the satellite company’s upcoming Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites, which are expected to launched by SpaceX in 2027 and 2028, respectively.