Korou, French Guiana—The space program of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) has reached an important milestone and earned worldwide credibility as it celebrates the successful launch of its first communications satellite into space on Saturday, April 23rd.  The satellite, named Yahsat 1A (Y1A), was launched aboard the Ariane5, a rocket made by the European Space Agency, from the Arianespace launch site in French Guiana in South America.

According to The National, Y1A weighs 3 metric tons and has a wingspan of 30 meters. Once in orbit, the satellite will transmit commercial television and broadband internet services to 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. In addition to its commercial transmissions, the satellite will provide communications capabilities for the defense sectors of those countries.

The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council congratulates the U.A.E. and Al Yah Satellite Communications Co. (Yahsat), a subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company, on the successful launch of its first satellite and wishes the country continued success with its space program as it prepares for the launch of its second satellite, Y1B, in the coming months.

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About Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat)

Yahsat, the United Arab Emirates-based satellite communications company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala), provides multi-purpose satellite communications services to commercial and governmental clients in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South-West Asia. With a wide portfolio of voice, data, video and internet connectivity solutions, Yahsat satellites are designed based on market requirements and future applications. Yahsat is partnering with a consortium composed of EADS Astrium, Thales and Alenia Space to build a multi-purpose satellite communications system.
www.yahsat.ae