Airbus has successfully delivered the Thuraya 4 telecommunications satellite to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a significant step ahead of its scheduled launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket later this month. The satellite, transported from Toulouse, France via Airbus’s iconic BelugaST aircraft, will enhance telecommunications coverage across Europe, Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
The satellite is being launched by Space42, a company formed earlier this year through the merger of UAE’s Bayanat and Yahsat. Once operational, the Thuraya 4 satellite will enable Space42 to introduce over 15 new products.
“Thuraya 4 is at the core of our next-generation mobility solutions plans,” said Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Yahsat Space Services at Space42.
Built on Airbus’s Eurostar Neo platform, Thuraya 4 features a 12-meter antenna operating in L-Band, with the capability to handle up to 3,200 channels with dynamic power allocation. The satellite is fully electric, incorporating Airbus’s latest processed payload technology for enhanced flexibility.
“The shipment of Thuraya 4 represents a major milestone and reinforces our longstanding partnership with Yahsat Space Services, Space42, stretching back more than 10 years,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space.
Thuraya 4 further strengthens Airbus’s partnership with the UAE’s space sector, building on a contract originally awarded by Yahsat in 2020 prior to its integration into Space42. The company, which is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange under the ticker SPACE42, aims to combine satellite communications with artificial intelligence technologies, with G42, Mubadala, and IHC among its primary shareholders.
The satellite arrived in the United States on November 25th, after making stopovers in the Azores and Nova Scotia during its journey.
