Abu Dhabi's aerospace firm Space 42 is set to begin manufacturing prototypes of high-altitude platforms designed for operations in the lower part of the stratosphere later this year.

Karim Sabbagh, the managing director of the company, announced this initiative during the Make it in the Emirates 2025 manufacturing conference, as reported by the state news agency Wam.

The platforms, known as High-Altitude Platform Stations (Haps), are engineered to reach altitudes of 18 kilometers, a near-space environment where conventional aircraft and satellites do not operate.

These Haps technology is expected to serve multiple functions, enabling unmanned aircraft to carry payloads for both communication systems and Earth observation.

The upcoming prototypes will be manufactured at Space 42's facility in Abu Dhabi.

Trials are planned for various markets in Africa, Asia, and Europe to validate the operational capabilities and demonstrate the functionality of the Haps technology.

In addition to the high-altitude platforms, Mr. Sabbagh outlined the company’s vision for developing a non-terrestrial communications network.

This network aims to utilize a constellation of satellites to provide global coverage, particularly focusing on regions that are underserved by existing terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure.