In response to increasingly severe wildfires, Greece has deployed a dedicated constellation of satellites to enhance fire detection and improve emergency response. This initiative marks the first instance globally of a country fully integrating a satellite array into its national firefighting system.

The four satellites, each smaller than a carry-on suitcase, were launched into low Earth orbit in May. Equipped with advanced thermal sensors, these satellites can detect new fires as small as four meters wide—significantly smaller than the minimum size detectable by traditional satellite systems. Developed by the German company OroraTech, the technology provides rapid alerts with detailed information on fire location, size, and intensity.

Greece’s move comes against the backdrop of some of the hottest summers on record, including the country’s warmest in 2024 and the third warmest in 2025. The Mediterranean heatwave this year has heightened concerns over wildfire risks across Greece’s dry mountainous terrain and numerous inhabited islands.

The satellite data is processed using artificial intelligence to filter out false positives such as hot solar panels, factory roofs, and sunbaked rock formations, ensuring emergency services receive accurate fire warnings. These real-time alerts assist commanders in prioritizing firefighting efforts efficiently, particularly when multiple blazes occur simultaneously. “If you have 10 fires all over Greece and the fire radiative power is lower in some cases, you will not give priority to those ignitions; you will give priority to other ones,” said Col. Zisoula Ntasiou, vice president of the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services.

Following devastating wildfires, including the 2018 blaze near Athens that killed over 100 people and the EU’s largest recorded wildfire in 2023, Greece has expanded its use of technology such as drones and ground sensors. The satellite constellation complements these tools by filling coverage gaps left by international satellite systems and offering enhanced monitoring over remote and difficult terrain.

OroraTech’s head of Greek operations, Ioannis Lantouris, emphasized the need for adaptive models that can keep pace with rising global temperatures and the escalating intensity of fires. “Our models have to change and adjust to that. They have to be faster. They have to be more precise,” he said.

Greece’s pioneering satellite network is part of a broader European effort to develop greater autonomy in space-based environmental monitoring and disaster management. As climate change continues to intensify wildfire risks across the continent, this approach could serve as a model for integrating cutting-edge space technology into emergency response frameworks.