Elon Musk-owned SpaceX has been awarded the task of launching Al Yah Satellite Communications Company’s (Yahsat) advanced new geostationary satellites Al Yah 4 (AY4) and Al Yah 5 (AY5) into space.
The two satellites will ride SpaceX’s flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket to their orbit. AY4 and AY5 are expected to be launched in 2027 and 2028 and will eventually replace the older Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2, which were launched in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
The AY4 and AY5 are important for the UAE’s future plans and forms part of the AED18.7 billion ($5.1 billion) mandate awarded to Yahsat by the Government in Q3 2023. Both satellites will provide secure governmental communications over a wide geographical area across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia.
The full cost of the two satellites is expected to reach approximately AED3.9 billion($1.1 billion), including spacecraft, ground segment infrastructure, launch and insurance.
The satellites are being designed by Airbus based on the Eurostar Neo platformand will provide satellite communications capacity and managed services for 17 years.
Ali Al Hashemi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Yahsat, commented: “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 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.”
Yahsat, a public company listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), is a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company and offers multi-mission satellite solutions in more than 150 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Asia and Australasia. Its fleet of five satellites reaches more than 80 percent of the world’s population, enabling critical communications including broadband, broadcasting, backhauling and mobility solutions.
