OroraTech has successfully launched the world’s first wildfire constellation of eight satellites, built jointly by OroraTech and Spire Global, from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

This constellation will provide real-time wildfire detection and change the way satellites will be used in fighting the growing wildfire problem.

For the first time, sensor data will be available during the crucial time in the afternoon and at night, a time when fires rage the hottest and firefighters need the most support. No other data from public thermal satellites is available during these critical periods of the day.

CEO and CTO, Orora Tech, Dr. Martin Langer’s statement

Dr. Martin Langer, CEO & CTO of OroraTech, said: “This is a new era of combating wildfires. We are fulfilling our mission to provide heroes on the ground with the insights they need to save lives, land, and property.

“By filling this gap, we are providing information that the firefighting community has been requesting for decades.

“I want to thank the entire OroraTech team and our partners Spire Global and Rocket Lab for their commitment and hard work in making this unprecedented achievement possible.”

Prevalence of the new constellation

With its new constellation, OroraTech will bring to its global customer base two world firsts; wildfire information in real time alerting users on the ground within minutes, and wide coverage with high-resolution sensors that spot fires as small as 4m x 4m.

This provides first responders, governments, and fire organizations with unprecedented situational awareness at every stage of the fire. 

Spire Global built and integrated the satellites with OroraTech’s thermal imager and processing systems, highlighting their ongoing collaboration in the fight against wildfires.

This constellation expands the OroraTech satellite network, adding eight more satellites to the existing network of over 25+ integrated satellites.

The Rocket Lab launch mission, named “Finding Hot Wildfires Near You,” saw the Electron rocket deliver the eight satellites into a 550km orbit.

OroraTech’s satellites provide continuous global coverage, circling the Earth multiple times a day, gathering high-resolution data.

This data is uploaded into the company’s Wildfire Solution platform to display the location, size, and spread of a fire. By integrating many different satellites and data sources, OroraTech ensures a continuous flow of new fire data to be sent directly to their userbase of over 500+ users worldwide.

Plans moving forward

OroraTech is already set to grow their network of satellites quickly, with another eight satellites launching at the end of 2025. This provides even more coverage of wildfires, giving more frequent updates to emergency responders and other customers. 

Satellite constellation for wildfire detection & data accumulation launched by OroraTech: Summary

OroraTech has announced the launch of the world’s first wildfire constellation of eight satellites, built jointly by OroraTech and Spire Global, from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

Dr. Martin Langer, CEO & CTO of OroraTech, said the launch has welcomed a new era of fighting wildfires.