OroraTech supports new wildfire control centres in Patagonia region

by Featured NewsFire DetectionWildland Fire

OroraTech satellite services launched in Rio Negro

Satellite-powered wildfire detection and monitoring services have launched across Argentina’s Rio Negro province, with coverage stated as 20 million hectares in the Patagonia region.

OroraTech announced the deployment alongside GPTech and the Rio Negro provincial government.

The partnership includes two newly constructed wildfire control centres in Bariloche and El Bolsón, built and operated by GPTech.

OroraTech’s Wildfire Solution is set out as the digital core of the centres, providing thermal intelligence and near real time alerts for decision-makers, local firefighters – brigadistas – and emergency planners.

Control centres combine satellite data with ground inputs

The control centres are intended to coordinate response and prevention efforts by combining OroraTech’s proprietary satellite data with ground-based inputs, drone footage and communications infrastructure powered by Starlink.

Axel Roenneke, Chief Commercial Officer at OroraTech, said: “This marks a new chapter for wildfire response in Argentina.

“We are proud to provide the space-based intelligence that will help protect lives, ecosystems, and the economy of the Rio Negro province.

“This partnership showcases how local innovation and global technology can come together to build resilience.”

Gabriel Porta, founder and CEO of GPTech, commented: “We are building multi-orbit connected control centers to connect brigadists on the ground with critical information and communications tools.

“OroraTech’s data is at the core of this system, enabling us to act faster and smarter against wildfires.”

Provincial officials, including the Governor and Minister of Environment, inaugurated the control centres on 14 February.

Rio Negro provincial government endorsement was described as part of a wider strategy to modernise environmental protection and emergency response.

OroraTech appoints Dr Ignacio Zuleta as Chief Technology and Product Officer

by Featured NewsPeopleWildland Fire

OroraTech appoints new chief technology and product officer

OroraTech has appointed Dr Ignacio Zuleta as chief technology and product officer (CTPO), the company announced on 17 February 2026 in Munich.

In the role, Zuleta will lead the company’s technology strategy and execution as it continues work on persistent thermal activity monitoring.

His remit includes end-to-end technology deployment spanning thermal sensor and product deployment, edge data processing, and real-time connectivity.

Zuleta said: “Earth Observation is finally entering a defining moment. Persistent, purpose-built, thermal-first systems are no longer optional if we want to understand, predict, and manage extreme events like wildfires, resource conflicts, and climate change at a planetary scale.

“OroraTech is uniquely positioned to lead this transition by building dedicated thermal infrastructure for persistent observation and operational focus.

“As CTPO, my vision is to build the most trusted, most capable thermal intelligence platform in the world – one that turns raw measurements into real-time decisions that protect lives, land, and critical infrastructure.”

Experience and technical background

OroraTech said Zuleta has more than a decade of experience designing, deploying, and operating large-scale Earth observation systems.

It said his work has included contributing to distributed satellite constellations and turning raw sensor data into operational intelligence used at a global scale.

Before joining OroraTech, he worked on what the company described as the first large-distributed Earth observation constellations, including the world’s first daily high-resolution land-monitoring mission.

The company said his career has included senior technical and product leadership roles across the Earth observation ecosystem, with experience in instrument design, payload operations, remote sensing science, and commercial data products.

It said he holds a doctorate in physical chemistry from Stanford University.

Technology priorities and company focus

OroraTech CEO Dr Martin Langer said Zuleta will apply his experience across sensors, constellation operations, and product strategy.

Langer said: “Ignacio brings a rare depth that he will apply to our sensors, constellation operations, and product strategy.

“Paired with a clear vision for how thermal intelligence must evolve to meet the realities of risk faced by governments and industries across the globe, his leadership strengthens our ability to scale advanced thermal technology while staying relentlessly focused on impact for our customers.”

OroraTech said it operates a network of dedicated thermal sensors for infrared data accumulation and wildfire monitoring, providing near-real-time intelligence to governments and businesses.

It said Zuleta’s appointment will support further work across its thermal Earth observation capabilities and its aim to act as a reference information layer for activity monitoring.