Space and AI: A New Powerhouse Emerges

Combining satellite technology with cutting-edge artificial intelligence. That's exactly what happened when Yahsat, a satellite operator from the UAE, merged with Bayanat, an AI company specializing in geospatial data. Their new venture, Space42, aims to bring together satellite communications and AI-powered analytics. This isn’t about starting from scratch. The goal is to take what they already do well and scale it up. With around 700 employees, Space42 is led by Karim Sabbagh, who used to be the CEO of SES, a multi-orbit satellite operator. So, what’s Space42 planning? They have five geostationary satellites already in use for communications and broadcasting. Three more are on the way from Airbus, including Thuraya 4 which is set to launch in November. But that's not all – they also have some low Earth orbit spacecraft coming up. The UAE government has a big deal with Space42, agreeing to buy broadband services worth $5. 1 billion until at least 2043. This is mainly for their upcoming satellites, Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5. Former Bayanat managing director Hasan Al Hosani is now in charge of the company’s AI side. They plan to use their gIQ platform to process data from satellites and turn it into useful information for various markets. AI can do more than just analyze geospatial data. It's starting to help with network optimization, predictive maintenance, and even dealing with interference in satellite communications. This blend of AI and satcom is still new but has a lot of potential. Space42 is backed by Mubadala, a UAE sovereign wealth fund that was already invested in both companies. They’ve already teamed up to order satellites from Iceye. In August, SpaceX launched the first of these spacecraft. The future looks interesting for Space42. They plan to release more details about their growth strategy later this year after holding their first board meeting as a combined company.