“Falcon 9 Set to Propel Thuraya 4-NGS into Orbit: A New Era for Telecommunications!”

SpaceX is gearing up for its inaugural Falcon 9 launch of 2025, set to deploy a telecommunications satellite aimed at providing service to areas in Africa, Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

The liftoff of the Thuraya 4-NGS (Next Generation System) mission from launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is targeted for Friday, Jan. 3 at 8:27 p.m. EST (0127 UTC), marking the commencement of a four-hour launch window.

Spaceflight Now will provide live coverage starting approximately one hour before the launch.



The Falcon 9 first stage booster designated for this mission, tail number B1073 from the SpaceX fleet, will be making its 20th flight. It has previously launched the CRS-27 mission to the International Space Station, as well as ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1, Bandwagon-1, and 13 Starlink satellite batches.

Approximately 8.5 minutes post-launch, B1073 will touch down on SpaceX’s droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ If successful, this would signify the 92nd booster landing for ASOG and the 391st booster landing for SpaceX overall.

Enhancing connectivity

The Thuraya 4-NGS satellite is being launched on behalf of Space42, a company that emerged from the union of the United Arab Emirates’ primary satellite provider, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), and an AI-driven geospatial solutions firm, Bayanat.

Space42 currently possesses two business divisions: Yahsat Space Services and Bayanat Smart Solutions. It made its market debut on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange under the “SPACE42” ticker symbol on Oct. 1, 2024.

Currently, Space42 operates two geostationary satellites: Thuraya 1 (launched on Oct. 21, 2001) located at 98.5 degrees East and Thuraya 2 (launched on June 10, 2003) situated at 44 degrees East. These satellites deliver coverage to terrestrial, maritime, and aerospace clients across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Thuraya 3 was launched on Jan. 15, 2008, by the previous multinational contractor, Sea Launch, into the 98.5 degrees East orbital position and was intended to provide L-band mobile satellite services primarily for South and East Asia and the Pacific region, as per financial reports from Yahsat.

However, Yahsat’s filings reveal that on April 15, 2024, the satellite “sustained an unanticipated payload anomaly resulting in a continuous service disruption.”

“After implementing standard incident management protocols, conducting an investigation of the occurrence alongside the satellite manufacturer, and exhausting most recovery avenues, [Yahsat] anticipates that services will remain substantially diminished for an extended period across most affected regions,” Yahsat noted in its report.

A third-quarter financial filing for Space42 indicated a decrease in revenue from $323 million to $298 million (an eight percent decline) due to the loss of Thuraya 3 services.

The initial three Thuraya satellites were constructed by Boeing with a projected operational lifespan of 12 years. Nevertheless, the first two satellites, launched in 2000 and 2004, continue to function.

Developed by Airbus, Thuraya 4-NGS was delivered to Florida in late November after undertaking a transatlantic journey aboard an Airbus BelugaST aircraft. The firm wastapped to construct the satellite in 2020 by Yahsat.

“Thuraya 4 is central to our next-generation mobility solutions strategy and exemplifies our dedication to leveraging cutting-edge SpaceTech to unlock pioneering AI-powered services for our international clientele,” stated Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Yahsat Space Services in a statement. “Thuraya 4 will greatly broaden our product range with over 15 new offerings once it becomes fully operational.”

The satellite is constructed on Airbus’ Eurostar Neo Platform and incorporates a 12-meter (39.4 ft) antenna, which functions in L-band. Airbus asserted that it will “deliver advanced routing adaptability of up to 3,200 channels with dynamic power distribution across a wide array of spot beams.”

Yahsat chose SpaceX to launch Thuraya 4 in September 2021. Initially, the satellite was anticipated to be launched in the latter half of 2023 to initiate operational service in 2024.