Join Us as
Altair 1 Lifts Off. From Abu Dhabi To Orbit.
The first satellite designed, built and operated in the UAE is about to fly. Join us for the live broadcast.
Launch day
Today, Altair 1 Leaves Earth.
SpaceX Falcon 9 is vertical on the pad. The webcast opens ten minutes before liftoff.
Broadcasting now from the launch pad
Altair 1 Is Go For Launch.
Altair 1 is live. Latest: Liftoff. Next up, the next milestone .
Now flying
Altair 1 Is Space Bound.
Latest: Liftoff. Next up, the next milestone . Mission clock T-00:00.
Satellite deployed
Altair 1 Is In Orbit.
Altair 1 has separated from SpaceX Falcon 9 and is flying on its own. Stay with the webcast for the rest of the mission.
Mission update
Altair 1 Is In Orbit.
Separation confirmed. Watch the replay of the launch below.
Thursday 1 October 2026 · 22:08 +04
Flight profile
- T+00:00 Liftoff
- T+01:05 Max Q Moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket
- T+02:15 1st stage main engine cutoff MECO
- T+02:18 1st and 2nd stages separate
- T+02:26 2nd stage engine starts SES-1
- T+02:31 Boostback burn starts
- T+02:55 Fairing separation
- T+03:25 Boostback burn ends
- T+06:04 1st stage entry burn begins
- T+06:13 1st stage entry burn ends
- T+07:08 1st stage landing burn begins
- T+07:25 1st stage landing
- T+08:26 2nd stage engine cutoff SECO-1
- T+51:03 2nd stage engine starts SES-2
- T+51:07 2nd stage engine cutoff SECO-2
- T+54:22 SPRITE deploys, manifested by NASA
- T+54:25 UASAT-NANO deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+54:28 Sateliot_6 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+54:32 GHGSAT C19 Aidan deploys, manifested by SFL
- T+54:35 Flock 4J-18 deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+54:38 GOMX-5 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+54:45 GHGSAT C18 Eleanor deploys, manifested by SFL
- T+54:51 CRIMSON-1 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+54:54 KENSAT deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:04 JACK-006 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:14 LEMUR-2-MDQURESHI deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:18 GYEONGGISat-2A deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:21 Sateliot_5 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:31 Flock 4J-17 deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+55:34 GPDM deploys, manifested by NASA
The Middle East’s first satellite manufacturing hub
Mission brief
T-0 Thursday 1 October 2026 · 22:08 +04
- Vehicle
- SpaceX Falcon 9
- Booster
- Flight 25 for this first stage
- Booster landing
- Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base
- Launch site
- Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base
Transporter-18 Mission · from SpaceX
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, October 1 for Falcon 9’s launch of the Transporter-18 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The 58-minute launch window opens at 11:18 a.m. PT. If needed, there is a backup opportunity on Friday, October 2 at the same time.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX.
This will be the 25th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched USSF-62, OneWeb Launch 20, NROL-145, and 21 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Transporter-18 is a dedicated smallsat rideshare mission. There are 130 payloads on this flight, including cubesats, microsats, hosted payloads, and two spacecraft with reentry vehicles and four orbital transfer vehicles carrying 41 of those payloads to be deployed at a later time. To date, SpaceX has launched more than 1,800 payloads to orbit across our entire Rideshare program.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
Countdown and flight timeline
- T-38:00SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
- T-35:00RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins
- T-35:001st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
- T-16:002nd stage LOX loading begins
- T-07:00Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
- T-01:00Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks
- T-01:00Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
- T-00:45SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
- T-00:03Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
- T+00:00Falcon 9 liftoff
- T+00:00Liftoff
- T+01:05Max Q
- T+02:151st stage main engine cutoff
- T+02:181st and 2nd stages separate
- T+02:262nd stage engine starts
- T+02:31Boostback burn starts
- T+02:55Fairing separation
- T+03:25Boostback burn ends
- T+06:041st stage entry burn begins
- T+06:131st stage entry burn ends
- T+07:081st stage landing burn begins
- T+07:251st stage landing
- T+08:262nd stage engine cutoff
- T+51:032nd stage engine starts
- T+51:072nd stage engine cutoff
- T+54:22SPRITE deploys, manifested by NASA
- T+54:25UASAT-NANO deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+54:28Sateliot_6 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+54:32GHGSAT C19 Aidan deploys, manifested by SFL
- T+54:35Flock 4J-18 deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+54:38GOMX-5 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+54:45GHGSAT C18 Eleanor deploys, manifested by SFL
- T+54:51CRIMSON-1 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+54:54KENSAT deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:04JACK-006 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:14LEMUR-2-MDQURESHI deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:18GYEONGGISat-2A deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:21Sateliot_5 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:31Flock 4J-17 deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+55:34GPDM deploys, manifested by NASA
- T+55:40LEMUR-2-VARUN deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+55:44Watchdog v0-A deploys, manifested by Maverick Space Systems
- T+55:53Sateliot_8 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+56:03Sateliot_7 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+56:07Tomorrow-S12 deploys, manifested by Tomorrow.io Companies Inc.
- T+56:15FOREST-20 Araucaria deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+56:18LEMUR-2-WHITEHOTCREW deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+56:21GuaraniSat-2 deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+56:31AE4La deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+56:44BRO-23 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+56:48IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET-2-21 deploys, manifested by OHB Italia
- T+56:55eLEAF-01 deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+56:55Blackwing Space Baby Bird deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+56:59Tomorrow-S13 deploys, manifested by Tomorrow.io Companies Inc.
- T+57:12IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET-2-24 deploys, manifested by OHB Italia
- T+57:23Watchdog v0-MK deploys, manifested by Maverick Space Systems
- T+57:26IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET-2-18 deploys, manifested by OHB Italia
- T+57:36Newsat-64 deploys, manifested by Satellogic
- T+57:41HERMES deploys, manifested by SEOPS
- T+57:52IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET-2-20 deploys, manifested by OHB Italia
- T+57:56Newsat-56 deploys, manifested by Satellogic
- T+58:00IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET-2-22 deploys, manifested by OHB Italia
- T+58:07IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET-2-17 deploys, manifested by OHB Italia
- T+58:12IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET-2-23 deploys, manifested by OHB Italia
- T+58:27Sateliot_9 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+58:38Terra Nova deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+58:41DHRUVA SPACE LEAP-2 deploys, manifested by DHRUVA SPACE PRIVATE LIMITED
- T+58:44Merlin-1 deploys, manifested by Satellogic
- T+58:50MERIDIAN FCL deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+59:05IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET-2-19 deploys, manifested by OHB Italia
- T+59:19BRO-32 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+59:23Newsat-57 deploys, manifested by Satellogic
- T+59:28ION SCV Absolute Andreas deploys, manifested by D-Orbit
- T+59:31GNOMES-10 via Muon Space deploys, manifested by Muon Space
- T+59:40ICEYE-2 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+59:54Athene 1 Seranis Mission deploys, manifested by OHB Orbital Access
- T+1:00:05ION SCV Empowering Ekaterina deploys, manifested by D-Orbit
- T+1:00:22ICEYE-3 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+1:00:26OSSIE deploys, manifested by UARX Space
- T+1:00:31ICEYE-4 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+1:00:34BOB deploys, manifested by D-Orbit S.p.A.
- T+1:00:57F2G1 deploys, manifested by BAE Systems
- T+1:01:00KEVIN deploys, manifested by D-Orbit S.p.A.
- T+1:01:25Project Suncatcher M1 deploys, manifested by Planet Labs
- T+1:01:32Tanager-2 deploys, manifested by Planet Labs
- T+1:01:39STUART deploys, manifested by D-Orbit S.p.A.
- T+1:02:10ION SCV Alluring Alexander deploys, manifested by D-Orbit
- T+1:02:21Altair-1 deploys, manifested by Loft Orbital
- T+1:03:02Element-1 deploys, manifested by CesiumAstro
- T+1:03:06SSPICY Otter deploys, manifested by Starfish Space
- T+1:03:24Reason-1 deploys, manifested by Cowboy Space Corporation
- T+1:04:05HotSat-3 deploys, manifested by Global SatelliteVu Ltd.
- T+1:04:30ICEYE-1 deploys, manifested by Exolaunch
- T+1:04:51Star Catcher Protostar deploys, manifested by Star Catcher
- T+1:04:56W-9 deploys, manifested by Varda Space Industries
- T+1:05:15W-8 deploys, manifested by Varda Space Industries
You’re on the list.
See you at T-0. Add the launch to your calendar so you don’t miss it.
Who We Are
Creating the UAE New Space Infrastructure.
Orbitworks exists to make sovereign space capability more accessible from the UAE. By building local integration, testing and mission operations capacity, we are creating the infrastructure needed to support a new generation of defence, civil and commercial space missions from within the region.
Altair is Orbitworks’ AI enabled Earth Observation constellation, built in Abu Dhabi to deliver faster, more useful intelligence from orbit. By combining multiple sensor types with onboard processing, it turns raw data into outputs that can be acted on in minutes.
What we build
Mission Infrastructure Built for Speed, Flexibility and Intelligence
Mission-Agnostic Infrastructure
Our payload adapter supports bus- and payload-agnostic missions, enabling multi-payload integration while reducing non-recurring engineering and accelerating time to orbit.
Multi-Sensor Fusion
On-Orbit Edge Computing and AI Integration
Cockpit Mission Control Software
WHY CHOOSE ORBITWORKS
The Infrastructure Behind Faster Missions
Orbitworks brings together sovereign capability, proven technology and local mission infrastructure to give customers a faster and more controlled path to orbit.
0 sq ft
Purpose-built facility in Abu Dhabi
0 + per year
Satellites production capability
0 +
Spacecraft class supported
< 0 months
Contract to orbit
CHOOSE YOUR PATH TO ORBIT
Ways to Access Space
Orbitworks gives customers multiple ways to access space depending on their mission, timeline and technical needs. From fully integrated satellite programmes to software deployment and on demand data access, each path is designed to reduce complexity and speed up capability.
APPLICATIONS
Built for Sovereign, Civil and Commercial Missions
Persistent intelligence, RF awareness and monitoring capability to support security operations, border and coastline oversight, and mission-critical situational awareness.
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RF interference and jamming detection
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Border and maritime monitoring
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Persistent intelligence support
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Disaster response and resilience planning
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Environmental and land monitoring
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National infrastructure oversight
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Asset and site monitoring
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Supply chain and route visibility
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Forecasting and operational data services
