Greece Deploys Nanosatellites for Early Wildfire Detection

Greece launched four nanosatellites into low Earth orbit in May to improve its ability to detect wildfires when they are small. Traditional satellites typically only identify fires once they reach a substantial size, but these new satellites can detect fires as small as four meters across.

The nanosatellites, created by OroraTech, use thermal imaging and artificial intelligence to analyze data and filter out non-fire heat sources like solar panels. This allows incident commanders to receive alerts with the fire’s location, size, and intensity already calculated, along with simulations of potential spread.

The system provides hourly updates with no gaps in coverage, which is particularly crucial for remote areas where fires can go unnoticed for extended periods. Greece, having experienced severe wildfire seasons, hopes this EU-funded technology will significantly aid in early response and mitigation efforts this summer and beyond.