UAE-based Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) says it has contracted SpaceX as the launch provider for its upcoming new geostationary satellites, Al Yah 4 (AY4) and Al Yah 5 (AY5).
Yahsat said in a statement on Monday it will use SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to launch Al Yah 4 in 2027, and Al Yah 5 in 2028.
No financial details were disclosed. However, Yahsat has said it will spend around AED 3.9 billion [US$1.1 billion] for both satellites, which includes the satellites, ground segment infrastructure, launch and insurance.
The SpaceX launch contract follows last month’s news that Yahsat had contracted satellite manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space to design and build the two satellites based on the Eurostar Neo platform. Each satellite will carry flexible multi-band payloads that can be fully reconfigured while in orbit in terms of coverage area, capacity and frequency.
The Airbus contract is part of a an AED 18.7 billion mandate awarded by the UAE Government to Yahsat last year to provide satellite communications capacity and managed services for 17 years, mainly on Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5.
Both satellites will provide governmental communications across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, and will eventually replace the Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 satellites, which have been in orbit since 2011 and 2012, respectively.
