Eutelsat Embarks 48 Fire Detection Sensors from OroraTech on its OneWeb Satellites

A Partnership for Fire Detection from Space

Eutelsat and OroraTech, a German company specializing in thermal intelligence from space, signed a partnership agreement announced on September 9, 2026 during the International Space Summit held in Paris. Under the terms of this agreement, OroraTech will reserve capacity aboard Eutelsat's future OneWeb satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to integrate its infrared thermal payloads intended for forest fire detection. The partnership combines Eutelsat's satellite capabilities with OroraTech's thermal intelligence technology to strengthen fire surveillance from space.

48 Payloads, with an Option for 48 Additional Units

The agreement covers the deployment of 48 infrared thermal payloads, coupled with an option for 48 additional units, aboard Eutelsat's future OneWeb satellites in low-Earth orbit. The partnership benefits from the support of the French and German governments within the framework of Franco-German cooperation in space. The expansion of this network is intended to enable OroraTech to support additional applications, such as critical infrastructure monitoring, environmental observation, and security.

Hosted Payloads, a New Value Driver for LEO Satellites

For Eutelsat, this partnership extends the use of its future LEO satellites beyond connectivity alone and highlights the potential of hosted payloads as a value creation driver. Jean-François Fallacher, Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat, indicated that the agreement opens opportunities for additional value creation for orbital assets through the integration of third-party payloads. Martin Langer, Chief Executive of OroraTech, for his part presented the partnership as marking the transition of satellites to infrastructure.