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On-orbit fire detection technology launched

28 April 2023

Germany-based wildfire solution company OroraTech has announced its new on-orbit fire processing technology that can detect and send fire notification alarms to customers via the multi-satellite link within three minutes once the satellite has passed the affected area. As a result, the technology will cut fire detection from one and a half hours, resulting in a faster detection time.

According to the Company, the challenge today is that most wildfires happen in the afternoon, and it often takes up to one and a half hours for a publicly available satellite to detect the fire.

The main delay with most satellites originates in the need for a satellite to pass over a ground station to download the data. However, OroraTech has overcome this problem by compressing the fire information and sending it down to Earth via an inter-satellite link, avoiding the need to overpass a ground station.

Thomas Grübler, CEO of OroraTech, speaking on the technology, stated, “developing solutions based on our customers’ key problems have led to this technological breakthrough. This opportunity is especially interesting for industries where real-time data is crucial. This includes wildlife conservation, commercial forestry, agriculture, insurance, food security, or critical infrastructure monitoring.”

“We will provide on-orbit detection at an unprecedented speed to our clients with the unique satellite constellation launched in 2024 and ready to be booked by our clients. The unique data will especially cover the peak burn period in the afternoon when customers currently rely mostly on manual plane observations.”

Source: spacewatch.global

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