D028-ESPACIO LANZAMIENTO SATELITE INCENDIOS GRECIA

Greece has launched four thermal imaging satellites to strengthen wildfire detection and climate monitoring, authorities said, marking a key step in its National Microsatellite Program.

The satellites were sent into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and are designed to detect fires in near real time using advanced thermal sensors.

Developed by German company OroraTech, the system will provide continuous data on fire outbreaks and spread, improving early warning and response by civil protection authorities. The data will feed into a government Earth observation hub, creating a unified platform for decision-making.

Beyond wildfire monitoring, the satellites will track sea surface temperatures, inland waters and land use, supporting environmental management and climate adaptation.

Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists, with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, putting increasing pressure on firefighting resources and civil protection systems.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (MAY 3, 2026) (SPACEX - For editorial use only. No resales)

1. SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCHING AFTER 10-SECOND COUNTDOWN

IN SPACE (MAY 3, 2026) (SPACEX - For editorial use only. No resales)

2. VIEW OF FALCON 9 ROCKET AFTER LAUNCH

3. FALCON 9 IN FLIGHT (AUDIO OF BROADCASTER SAYING IN ENGLISH: “AT T PLUS 30 SECONDS IN THE FLIGHT. FALCON 9 HAS SUCCESSFULLY LIFTED OFF FROM SLC4E AT VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA”)

4. FALCON 9 IN FLIGHT (AUDIO OF BROADCASTER SAYING IN ENGLISH: “AND THE PAYLOAD TO ORBIT. AND THEN FINALLY WE WILL SEE THE PAYLOAD FAIRINGS JETTISON AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE”)

5. SPLIT SCREEN VIEW OF FALCON 9 IN SPACE, PAYLOAD SEPARATING FROM VEHICLE, (AUDIO OF BROADCASTER SAYING IN ENGLISH: “MICO - SEPARATION CONFIRMED”)

SICHAINA, NEAR PATRAS, GREECE (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 13, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

6. FIRE BURNING

7. MAN TRYING TO PUT OUT FIRE

8. HELICOPTER DROPPING WATER AND FLYING AMID SMOKE

9. FIRE TRUCK DRIVING THROUGH, DRIVER SHOUTING (Greek): “Everyone out!”

10. VARIOUS OF TILE FACTORY BURNING

11. VARIOUS OF FIRE BURNING BEHIND FACTORY

KERATEA, GREECE (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 8, 2025) (REUTERS-Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

12. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WATCHING AS HILLSIDES BURN

13. VARIOUS OF TREES IN FLAMES AND ORANGE HUE ACROSS HILLSIDES FROM FLAMES AS THEY BURN

KRYONERI, ATTICA, GREECE (ARCHIVE - JULY 26, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)