UAE‑based space technology company Space42 (ADX: SPACE42) announced on 2 November 2025 the successful launch of three synthetic‑aperture radar (SAR) satellites—Foresight‑3, Foresight‑4 and Foresight‑5—into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), marking a significant advance in the nation’s Earth‑observation (EO) and geospatial intelligence capabilities.
The satellites were carried into orbit aboard the Bandwagon‑4 rideshare mission operated by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and are now reported to be in communication with Space42’s ground systems as they begin routine operations.
According to Space42, the three new spacecraft join earlier units Foresight‑1, launched in August 2024 and Foresight‑2 in January 2025, advancing the Foresight constellation toward full maturity, which the company targets by 2027.
Space42 states the newly launched SAR satellites will deliver all‑weather, day‑and‑night imaging at a resolution of 25 centimetres. These capabilities enable continuous monitoring of the Earth’s surface and are designed to support applications from disaster response and climate monitoring to infrastructure planning and national security.
The company emphasises that manufacturing, assembly and testing of these satellites involved domestic capabilities: the satellites were produced in Finland, then integrated and tested at Space42’s Assembly, Integration & Testing (AIT) facility in Abu Dhabi, before shipment to the US for launch.
Space42 positions the milestone as furthering the UAE’s ambition under its UAE National Space Strategy 2030 to build sovereign space and geospatial intelligence capabilities.
The announcement highlights the company’s partnership with Finnish SAR specialist ICEYE. ICEYE’s technology and operational expertise are cited by both firms as key to enabling rapid deployment of the Foresight satellites.
With the addition of these satellites, Space42 asserts its positioning in the growing market for high‑resolution, low‑latency EO data and intelligence estimated to be a multibillion‑dollar opportunity globally.
In May 2025, Space42 and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) announced that the emirate will host the region’s first dedicated commercial SAR satellite manufacturing facility Space42 Space Systems further localising satellite design, assembly and testing in the UAE.
Space42 says the domestic AIT infrastructure and Emirati technical workforce underpin its ambition to act both as a sovereign operator and as a global partner in satellite‑based intelligence and manufacturing.
While Space42 did not specify the exact timeline for full operational deployment of the new satellites, the company and external commentary note that the constellation’s expansion enhances revisit frequency, coverage and analytic capability.
As the UAE deepens its capacity in geospatial intelligence and satellite manufacturing, the company will need to manage integration of its global supply‑chain partners, ensure data‑product reliability, and maintain market competitiveness amid rapid growth in the commercial Earth‑observation sector.
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