Space42’s Thuraya-4 Bolsters Global Mobile Satellite Capabilities

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Abu Dhabi-based space company Space42 has deployed its next-generation mobile communications satellite, Thuraya-4 (T4-NGS), to provide advanced connectivity across more than 100 countries spanning Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. The footprint now explicitly includes South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia, marking a clear expansion of the firm’s operational reach.

Thuraya-4 integrates connectivity and onboard intelligence, converting traditional satellite links into a programmable platform for multiple industry verticals. The programme is underpinned by a 15-year government agreement worth USD 708 million, which establishes the commercial foundation for Space42’s mobile satellite services offering.

Technical design for demanding environments

Working in the L-band spectrum, Thuraya-4 is engineered to sustain communications over land, sea and air, including remote and austere areas where terrestrial networks are absent. The satellite targets sectors from Mediterranean maritime operations to African energy projects and civil aviation, enabling near real-time data exchange in constrained operating areas.

Manufactured on the Airbus Eurostar Neo platform and placed into orbit in January 2025, Thuraya-4 ranks among the largest mobile comms satellites in service. Principal technical attributes include:

• 12-metre reflector antenna with onboard signal processing to broaden and strengthen coverage

• Software-defined architecture allowing dynamic reallocation of capacity

• Throughput above 1 Mbps with the ability to update configurations in orbit via software

• Support for IoT and Direct-to-Device connectivity models that reduce dependency on bespoke terminals

Portfolio of 16 sector-specific products

The satellite’s capabilities are delivered through a lineup of 16 products tailored to distinct use cases:

• Land: IP NEO M/C provides broadband mobility (COTP), while Commander NEO targets secure mission-critical operations

• Broadband Data: Voyager NEO offers on-the-move (COTM) broadband connectivity

• Maritime: Orion NEO supports offshore and seafaring communications

• Airborne: T320, T420 and T220 suites are designed for fixed-wing, rotary-wing and UAV platforms respectively

• Deployable Networks: Mobile Gateway M/C NEO paired with an IP handset delivers rapid, deployable links

• Beyond Line of Sight: T-TAC tactical transceiver provides UHF/VHF beyond-line-of-sight coverage

Strategic ecosystem and industrial scale-up

Thuraya-4 is integrated within Space42’s broader ecosystem, which includes three SAR satellites forming the Foresight Earth Observation Constellation, the GIQ geospatial intelligence platform hosted on Microsoft Azure, and an expanded satellite production capability in the UAE. Together these assets strengthen Space42’s position in global satellite communications and downstream services.

By combining robust hardware, in-orbit software flexibility and an expanding product set, Thuraya-4 enhances how governments, commercial operators and remote users access secure, reliable and configurable communications around the world.