Abu Dhabi aerospace firm to begin manufacture of prototype platforms to launch near-space flights
Abu Dhabi's Space 42 will begin to manufacture prototypes of platforms that will operate thousands of metres above the Earth's surface later this year.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the firm's managing director Karim Sabbagh, who was speaking at the Make it in the Emirates 2025 manufacturing conference in Abu Dhabi, reported the state news agency Wam. Space 42's Abu Dhabi facility will host the manufacturing of the prototype platforms that are designed to capture real-time data and provide high-speed communications from the lower part of the stratosphere.
Called a High-Altitude Platform Station (Haps), this technology can reach altitudes of 18km, in a zone known as near-space where no commercial aircraft or satellites operate, The National previously reported.
The Haps will enable unmanned aircraft to carry payloads for both communications and Earth observation. Trials in African, Asian, and European markets are expected to begin in the coming months, Mr Sabbagh said. The trials aim to validate the operational capabilities and demonstrate the feasibility of the Haps concept.
The platforms themselves will be operated by Mira Aerospace, a subsidiary of space-tech company Space42. Mr Sabbagh also laid out Space42's plans to develop a non-terrestrial communications network, which will "leverage a constellation of satellites to deliver global coverage, particularly in regions underserved by traditional terrestrial infrastructure".
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