Marlan Space Leads $1 Billion, 50-Satellite AI Project

Marlan Space and Loft Orbital announced a $1 billion project to expand the Altair AI-enabled Earth-observation constellation from 10 to 50 satellites. Orbitworks, their joint venture in Abu Dhabi, will assemble the spacecraft, which will combine optical, radar and other sensors with onboard computing to process observations and issue alerts within seconds. Mistral AI will supply onboard artificial-intelligence technology, while BlackSky will provide very-high-resolution electro-optical satellites. The first spacecraft is planned for launch on SpaceX in early October, with later missions expected to use MaiaSpace; none of the new satellites is operational yet.