Marlan Space and Loft Orbital to Build World’s Largest AI Satellite Infrastructure with $1 Billion Investment
Marlan Space, a UAE-based investor and operator in space technology and a subsidiary of IHC, along with Loft Orbital, are leading a consortium in a $1 billion investment in France to build Altair-Next Gen, the world’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) satellite infrastructure.
This plan was announced and signed today at the International Space Summit in Paris by Marlan Space and Loft Orbital, in the presence of Emmanuel Macron, president of the French Republic.
Key Points:
- Investment: US$1 billion
- Location: France
- Consortium: Marlan Space and Loft Orbital
- Objective: Build Altair-Next Gen, world's largest AI satellite infrastructure
- Beneficiaries: French, European, Emirati governments and commercial/sovereign customers globally
Capabilities:
- Fifty satellites equipped with radar, optical, and other sensors.
- Real-time data analysis and event alerts within seconds.
- Applications: Maritime domain awareness, wildfire detection, disaster response, and critical infrastructure security.
Manufacturing and Operations:
- Satellites produced by Orbitworks at its facility in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi.
- Orbitworks, a joint venture between Marlan Space and Loft Orbital, established in 2024.
- Program scales from ten to fifty satellites.
Context:
- Announcement follows IHC’s agreement to acquire an 80% stake in Marlan Space on September 8, 2026.
- Strengthens IHC’s investment in deeptech and the new space economy.