FOREST 16, ..., 19

FOREST 16 [Orora Technologies]

FOREST 16, ..., 19 (Forest Observation and Recognition Experimental Smallsat Thermal Detector) are Greek wildfire-detection satellites built by Orora Technologies for the Greek National Small Satellite Programme (GNSSP). The satellites form the Axis 1.1 thermal-observation component of the programme and are designed for rapid wildfire detection and thermal monitoring from low Earth orbit.

The mission of the FOREST satellites is to provide near-real-time thermal infrared imaging for wildfire detection, monitoring and civil-protection support over Greece and surrounding regions. The constellation is intended to improve response times to forest fires by detecting both active flames and lower-temperature heat sources, including smouldering vegetation and fires obscured by smoke. The satellites operate in coordinated constellation mode to increase revisit rates and improve temporal coverage of fire-prone regions.

The satellites are based on Orora Technologies’s FOREST-3 design with modifications for Greek operational requirements. Each spacecraft uses an 8U CubeSat platform with aluminium structural framing and deployable solar arrays. The spacecraft employ three-axis stabilisation using reaction wheels and magnetorquers to provide accurate pointing for the thermal infrared imaging payload. The payload optics are housed in a radiation-resistant carbon-composite structure designed for long-duration operation in the low Earth orbit environment.

The thermal imaging payload incorporates three spectral infrared channels. One mid-wave infrared channel is optimised for detection of high-temperature fire sources, while two long-wave infrared channels are designed to detect cooler thermal signatures such as smouldering vegetation and partially obscured fires. The imaging system provides a swath width of approximately 400 km and supports optional lateral scanning for increased coverage.