Yahsat Partners with Airbus for Next-Gen Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 Satellites

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (Yahsat), the premier satellite solutions provider of the UAE, has disclosed that it has engaged Airbus Defence and Space, a prominent satellite manufacturer, for its upcoming geostationary telecommunications satellites, Al Yah 4 (“AY4”) and Al Yah 5 (“AY5”).

This crucial development follows the establishment of an Authorisation-to-Proceed with Airbus in Q2 2023, initiating preliminary activities regarding the AY4 and AY5 satellite programme.

Airbus will conceptualize and fabricate the AY4 and AY5 satellites utilizing the Eurostar Neo platform, with each featuring adaptable payloads and leveraging the robust lineage of the Eurostar family. The versatile multi-band payloads can be entirely reconfigured while in orbit, enabling adjustments to the coverage area, capacity, and frequency “on-the-fly” to accommodate changing mission requirements.

Both AY4 and AY5 satellites are designed to provide secure governmental communications across a vast expanse covering the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. These advanced new satellites will eventually succeed Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2, which were launched in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and were based on an earlier variant of the Airbus-engineered Eurostar platform.

Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, stated: “Today signifies a significant achievement with Yahsat opting for our innovative fully flexible satellite technology. Sixteen years ago, we inked our first contract with Yahsat, delivering the first sovereign telecommunications satellite to the UAE. Now, our longstanding partnership is advancing further with this agreement for two Eurostar Neos, enhancing Yahsat’s capabilities in orbit.”

Ali Al Hashemi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Yahsat, remarked: “We are thrilled to formalize this agreement with Airbus as part of our ongoing mission to augment our satellite communications capabilities with the next generation of satellites. This is a pivotal step in Yahsat’s growth journey. The Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites will empower us to provide the UAE Government with cutting-edge solutions. Moreover, the two new LEO satellite platforms will underpin Yahsat’s future strategy of delivering multi-orbit satellite solutions to our clientele.”

Airbus will design and construct both AY4 and AY5 satellites and will also supply ground control segment components. Each spacecraft will possess a design lifespan of 15 years, with launches planned for 2027 and 2028, respectively.

Airbus is currently working on the Thuraya 4 (“T4”) satellite, intended to support both Yahsat’s UAE government customer and Thuraya’s user base. The T4, also based on the Eurostar Neo platform, is scheduled for launch in the latter half of 2024, and aims to enter service in the second part of 2025.

The advancement of Airbus’ Eurostar Neo platform and reconfigurable payloads has been backed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and various national space agencies across Europe.

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (Yahsat) is a publicly traded entity on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company PJSC, delivering multi-mission satellite solutions in over 150 countries spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Asia, and Australasia.

Yahsat’s fleet of five satellites reaches more than 80% of the global population, facilitating essential communications that include broadband, broadcasting, backhauling, and mobility solutions.

Operating from Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Yahsat provides C, Ku, Ka, and L-band satellite communications solutions for terrestrial, maritime, and aerial platforms to consumers, governments, and enterprises. Its operations comprise Yahsat Government Solutions, Thuraya, YahClick (powered by Hughes), and YahLink. Yahsat is also involved in Hughes do Brasil, a partnership with Hughes, and Yahlive, a joint venture with SES. In 2020, Yahsat commenced the development of Thuraya 4, the next generation telecommunications system for Thuraya, expected to be operational in 2025.

In 2023, Yahsat secured an order for two new software-defined telecommunication satellites, Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5, anticipated to launch in 2027 and 2028, respectively.