ICEYE, a global leader in continuous Earth observation monitoring and natural disaster solutions through SAR (Synthetic-Aperture Radar) satellite constellation operations, announced on August 17, 2024 (Korean time) that it has further expanded the size of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation by successfully launching four new satellites.

The satellites were successfully launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard Transporter-11, a rideshare mission aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, with launch support from Exolaunch.

Communications with each spacecraft have been successfully established, and routine initial operations are currently underway.

These satellites are built by IceEye Finland and IceEye USA subsidiaries and will perform missions for IceEye's commercial and proprietary customers.

The satellites include the first IceEye satellite launched for the Earth Observation Space Program of Bayanat, a leading AI-based geospatial solutions provider in the UAE, and Yahsat (PJSC), a leading satellite solutions provider in the UAE. there is.

“By frequently and consistently adding new satellites to our constellation, IceEye is advancing our vision of exploring the global source of truth through Earth observation to improve lives on Earth,” said Rafal Modrzewski, co-founder and CEO of IceEye. “By building a powerful and capable constellation that can deliver accurate, actionable insights in a timely manner to support faster, better decision-making, IceEye is serving as a trusted partner to a growing number of government and industrial customers.”

“We are proud to launch the first IceEye satellite for our customers Bayanat and Yaset, and look forward to continuing our collaboration on their successful missions,” he added.

Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Bayanat, said: “The launch of our first satellite is a significant milestone for our collaboration and for the UAE. This is a triumphant moment for Bayanat and a decisive step towards Space42. By entering the SAR constellation and building our Earth observation capabilities, we are further strengthening our position as a leader in AI-based geospatial analytics. This invaluable achievement in leveraging space insights to make informed decisions back on Earth continues to demonstrate the importance of our ongoing partnership with IceEye, built on our shared goals with YASAT.”

Ali Al Hashemi, Group CEO of Yasset, said: “The successful launch of the SAR satellite is a testament to the synergies between Bayanat and Yasset as we pursue our merger to form Space42. “This will enable us to expand into a multi-orbit satellite operator encompassing geostationary and low-Earth orbit satellites with our SAR constellation scheduled to be launched over the next three years, while also developing the UAE’s satellite manufacturing capabilities,” he said. “This important step also solidifies our extensive experience and reaffirms the UAE’s position as a leader in the space sector and a key player in the global SpaceTech industry.”

“We are excited to add the next generation of satellites built by our U.S. subsidiary to our constellation, which will further enhance our ability to provide actionable data and insights to our customers,” said Eric Jensen, CEO of IceEye’s U.S. subsidiary.

IceEye operates the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation. These satellites can capture images of any area on the Earth’s surface, day or night, under any environmental conditions. SAR data provides near real-time, accurate insights for IceEye’s government and commercial customers.

IceEye plans to launch up to 13 new satellites in 2024 and 10 to 15 new satellites per year after 2025 to expand its constellation and serve its customers. In March 2024, it successfully deployed three new satellites into its constellation, and in 2023, it successfully launched 10 new satellites.