Fires: Eutelsat and OroraTech prepare to launch up to 96 infrared sensors into orbit

The agreement primarily involves reserving space for 48 OroraTech sensors aboard future Eutelsat OneWeb satellites, with an option for an additional 48 units. The two companies presented the initiative at the International Space Summit in Paris, where several European space announcements were made.

These sensors measure thermal anomalies from orbit and are designed to detect certain fire outbreaks earlier, including in remote areas where ground monitoring resources are limited. The data can then be used to track the progression of a fire and support response teams.

The partnership is backed by the French and German governments as part of their space cooperation. Eutelsat presents this project as a new application for its future low Earth orbit satellites, beyond their primary connectivity function.

For OroraTech, integrating its sensors onto already planned satellites will allow for a quicker expansion of its network without the need to finance a dedicated satellite for each new sensor.

Observation capacity set to increase significantly

OroraTech claims that the deployment could boost its observation capacity by nearly 500%. The company already operates space-based thermal sensors and combines their data with that from other satellites to monitor vast areas.

The announced applications are not limited to fire detection. The same instruments will also contribute to monitoring critical infrastructure, environmental surveillance, maritime activity observation, and certain security applications.

Utilizing hosted payloads involves installing an operator’s instruments on another entity’s satellite. This approach allows for shared platform, launch, and some operational costs.

A Franco-German space partnership

Eutelsat emphasizes that its connectivity services are already used by rescue teams responding to fires. The addition of OroraTech’s thermal sensors is expected to enhance this role by providing detection and observation capabilities from space.

No detailed timeline for the launch of the first 48 sensors has been announced. The two partners indicate that they will be integrated into future satellites of the OneWeb constellation in low Earth orbit.