UAE-built AI satellite Altair-1 heads to US ahead of October launch
Altair-1 is the first of 10 UAE-built satellites planned for the AI-enabled constellation
Dubai: The UAE’s first commercial AI-enabled earth observation satellite has left Dubai for the United States ahead of its scheduled launch in October, marking the next stage for a locally developed system designed to support environmental monitoring, disaster response and infrastructure assessment.
Emirates SkyCargo transported Altair-1 from Dubai World Central to Los Angeles aboard a Boeing 777 freighter. The satellite was developed and manufactured in the UAE by Orbitworks and will become the first of 10 satellites planned for its Altair constellation.
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What Altair-1 will do
The Altair constellation combines optical, infrared, thermal and radio-frequency sensing with onboard artificial intelligence processing.
Its imaging systems and orbital design are intended to provide analysis-ready information for environmental monitoring, disaster response, land and coastal-use analysis, maritime awareness and assessments of resources and infrastructure.
Altair-1 is the product of hard work by an incredible team, and today marks a historic moment, not just for Orbitworks, but for the UAE’s ambitions in space. We could not have reached this point without in-country partners like Emirates SkyCargo, whose care and expertise got Altair safely from Dubai to Los Angeles. We are incredibly proud of what our team has built, and we now look forward to October, when Altair-1 will launch into orbit and begin its mission.Schahan Sediqi, General Manager of Orbitworks
Special handling from Dubai to Los Angeles
A dedicated Emirates SkyCargo team managed the satellite’s transport from end to end, including environmental and safety controls required for sensitive aerospace equipment.
Transporting highly sensitive and technologically advanced cargo requires precision and expertise and we are well positioned through decades of deep expertise to support this critical mission. The movement of Altair-1 from the UAE to the United States ahead of its launch also underlines the role of specialised air cargo solutions in supporting the global aerospace sector.Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President at Emirates SkyCargo
The airline’s cargo division has previously transported satellites including Arab Satellite 813 from Dubai to its launch site near Shanghai and Khalifasat from Dubai to South Korea in 2018.
Khalifasat was the first satellite developed and built by UAE engineers.
Aerospace cargo volumes grow
Emirates SkyCargo said it has transported more than 6,000 tonnes of aerospace and advanced engineering cargo worldwide so far in 2026.
The carrier has also been expanding its freighter fleet. Since March, it has taken delivery of six Boeing 777-F production freighters and one Boeing 777-300ERSF converted from an Emirates passenger aircraft.
Another four Boeing 777-F freighters and one additional converted freighter are due later this year.
