ABU DHABI: Space42 said the localisation of assembly, integration and testing for its Foresight synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, satellites shows the UAE is deepening its industrial capability in space technology, as the company ties a series of recent Earth observation milestones to in-country execution. Speaking at Make it in the Emirates 2026, Hasan Al Hosani, chief executive of Smart Solutions at Space42, said the group is building an integrated domestic base for designing, assembling, testing and operating space systems.
Al Hosani said the Foresight constellation sits at the center of that effort, with Space42 moving key stages of the value chain into the UAE, including satellite assembly, integration and testing. He highlighted Space42 Space Systems in Abu Dhabi as the region’s first Earth observation satellite assembly, integration and testing facility, and said the work reflects a transition from knowledge transfer to tangible industrial capability inside the country.
The clearest milestone came with Foresight-3, Foresight-4 and Foresight-5, which Space42 has described as the first SAR satellites to be integrated and tested in the UAE. The three spacecraft were shipped from Abu Dhabi to the United States in October 2025 and launched the following month, expanding the Foresight constellation to five satellites after the earlier launches of Foresight-1 in August 2024 and Foresight-2 in January 2025.
Space42 expands local manufacturing footprint
The localisation drive is tied to infrastructure unveiled last year. In May 2025, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Space42 announced Space42 Space Systems as the Middle East’s first dedicated commercial SAR satellite manufacturing facility, saying the site would localise the design, assembly and testing of Earth observation satellites. Officials said the facility would support the UAE’s Earth Observation Space Program, advance Space Strategy 2030 and create high skilled jobs, including positions for UAE nationals.
Space42’s manufacturing push also rests on its partnership with ICEYE. In December 2024, the two companies said they had formed a joint venture to manufacture SAR satellites in the UAE, using Space42’s Abu Dhabi assembly, integration and testing and mission operations facilities as the operating base. The companies said the structure would support satellite manufacturing, mission deployment, technology transfer and local supply chain development as the Foresight program moves through successive launches.
Earth observation program expands
The Foresight program is part of the UAE’s Earth Observation Space Program, created in 2023 to build national satellite remote sensing capabilities. Space42 has said the constellation combines SAR imagery with its GIQ platform to deliver geospatial intelligence to government and commercial users, while the radar system can collect images day and night and through cloud cover. The company has said the full SAR constellation remains targeted for completion in 2027.
Taken together, the Abu Dhabi facility, the UAE-based integration and testing of three new satellites, and the expansion of the constellation to five spacecraft provide the context for Space42’s statement that localisation of Foresight assembly reflects growing industrial capability in the UAE. Al Hosani said the process is a gradual route to industrial expertise and sustainable production across the value chain, linking the Foresight program to a broader build-out of sovereign Earth observation capacity in the country. – By Content Syndication Services.