Madari Space Prepares for First Mission to Place Data Center in Orbit
The UAE Space Agency, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs are supporting the project. Abu Dhabi-based startup, Madari Space, is gearing up for its inaugural mission to deploy a data center in low-Earth orbit. The launch is scheduled for Q3 2026. The Founder and CEO shared with Bloomberg TV that this mission, created in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, is intended to demonstrate the company’s capability to store and handle data in space.
Al Romaithi emphasized the advantages of choosing the UAE as the operational base where collaboration with the national space agency and other government bodies will expedite commercial deployment. He also pointed out the environmental benefits of relocating data storage beyond Earth, highlighting that earthly data centers are one of the most energy-demanding facilities worldwide. The carbon emissions from these centers surpass those of the aviation sector, which is exacerbated by the increasing requirements of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
By utilizing low-Earth orbit, Madari Space aims to create sustainable and secure solutions to manage the escalating volume of data generated both on Earth and in space. The firm perceives this mission as an opportunity to mitigate operational risks, enhance its technology before expanding further into space exploration, and participating in the developing economic activities in the region between Earth and the Moon.
Initially, Madari Space will concentrate on assisting Earth observation operators and other space-related ventures producing substantial data volumes in orbit.
