Abu Dhabi space startup plans low-orbit data centres
Madari Space targets first orbital mission for Q3 2026
#UAE #space - Abu Dhabi-based startup Madari Space plans to launch the world's first commercial data centre into low Earth orbit, according to a Bloomberg video interview with its CEO Shareef Al Romaithi. The venture aims to address the exponential growth in global data generation and serve the fast growing data management needs of satellite operators. The Masdar City-headquartered company aims to provide sustainable, secure data storage and processing solutions by harnessing space's natural cooling environment and solar power availability. Madari is plans to show the proof of concept via a pilot space mission in Q3 2026.
SO WHAT? - The concept of putting data centres has received more and more global attention, as the Earth’s appetite for data grow exponentially and the cost of launching low-orbit satellites continues to fall. Orbital data centres could deliver substantial operational cost savings through inexpensive solar energy, passive radiative cooling, and unlimited scalability without terrestrial constraints. However, aside from the cost of getting them into orbit, operating space data centres has its own complications, including Earth’s increasingly crowded orbit. Madari Space joins an exclusive club of ventures rising to the challenge, which includes Starcloud and Thales Alenia Space’s Ascend project.
Here are some key facts about the new venture:
Masdar City-based startup Madari Space plans to launch the world's first commercial data centre into low Earth orbit, targeting Q3 2026 space launch for a low-orbit proof of concept demonstration. The news broke via a Bloomberg video interview with Madari CEO Shareef Al Romaithi.
Madari Space is being supported by the UAE Space Agency and is working closely with Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and UNOOSA (the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs),
The startup aims to target potential customers such as Earth observation satellite operators, governments, and corporations requiring secure data backup solutions beyond terrestrial infrastructure limitations.
Traditional data centres consume enormous energy, creating an urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Proponents of space-based data centres aim to leverage natural cooling in orbit and unlimited solar power availability, perhaps eliminating the energy-intensive cooling systems required on Earth.
According to Al Romaithi, reduced launch costs per kilogram have made space-based infrastructure commercially viable, with low Earth orbit serving as a testing ground before advancing to deeper space operations
ZOOM OUT - The UAE's National Space Strategy 2030 sets out to position the United Arab Emirates as a global space leader through systematic government investment and international partnerships. The UAE Space Agency's allocated AED 3 billion ($820m) to the National Space Fund and Space Economic Zone Program, supporting startups. Meanwhile, the agency is fostering global partnerships with NASA and US corporations, whilst the UAE builds indigenous capabilities. The UAE’s space strategy considers the private sector as vital to building a national space sector and seeks to attract local and global investment. G42 group’s Space42 — the result of the 2024 merger of Bayanat and Yahsat — is currently the biggest non-government investor in the sector.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]