Wildfire Photo by OroraTech

Satellite–based global wildfire monitoring company OroraTech will host its first payload on a Spire 6U nanosatellite scheduled for launch in December. Spire, a space-based data and analytics service provider, announced its new partnership agreement with OroraTech on April 8.

Spire’s 6U nanosatellite will carry an OroraTech thermal-infrared camera and data processing unit that will be used to detect fires and transmit monitoring data about areas at risk of wildfires. Under the partnership agreement, OroraTech will use both Spire’s satellite and ground network for data transmission.

OroraTech’s global wildfire intelligence service processes data from satellites in both Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO). The company eventually wants to develop a nanosatellite constellation designed to significantly increase temporal and spatial data resolution, expand geographical coverage and fill in the data gaps of existing satellite sources. OroraTech hopes to have the constellation in place by 2026.

“We are very happy to work with Spire as they are helping us to speed up time to market solving the crucial wildfire problem and offering high-resolution thermal infrared data for many other use-cases,” OroraTech co-founder and CEO Thomas Grübler said in a statement.