OroraTech has appointed Helena van Mierlo as Managing Director of OroraTech Canada, strengthening the company’s leadership as it expands its space-based wildfire detection and thermal intelligence services across the country.
The Munich-headquartered company, which operates what it describes as the world’s largest satellite constellation dedicated to wildfire intelligence, said van Mierlo will lead its Canadian operations from Vancouver as it grows partnerships with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), provincial governments, emergency-response organizations, and the wider wildfire management community.
Van Mierlo joined OroraTech in 2025 as Director of Commercial Solutions in Canada, where she helped establish the company’s commercial presence and develop relationships with provincial governments, industry partners, and emergency-response stakeholders.
Her promotion follows more than two decades at the Canadian Space Agency, where she held senior roles across Earth observation, satellite programs, and space utilization. Her experience includes leading CSA’s Microsatellite Program, managing Sun-Earth system sciences activities, supporting International Space Station robotic operations, and working on the Japan-Canada Joint Collaboration Satellite project with JAXA.
OroraTech said van Mierlo’s background is particularly relevant to its wildfire mission because she served as Mission Manager for WildFireSat, Canada’s dedicated wildfire-monitoring satellite mission, and helped secure federal funding for the program. She was also Mission Manager for the Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat).
The company currently has 19 operational satellites in orbit and provides space-based thermal intelligence designed to support earlier wildfire detection, monitoring, and decision-making.
Martin Langer, CEO of OroraTech, said: “Helena has already proven what she can build for OroraTech in Canada over the past year, and her history at the CSA — especially her role in getting WildFireSat funded and off the ground — makes her one of the most qualified people in the country to lead our next chapter here.”
Van Mierlo added: “I’ve spent a big part of my career trying to give Canada better tools to manage wildfires. At OroraTech, I get to keep doing that work as part of the exponentially growing commercial space sector. In a domain as complex and publicly relevant as wildfire management, collaboration between government organizations and the commercial space sector is essential. I’m excited to lead our Canadian team into this next stage of opportunities.”
OroraTech said the appointment will support the company’s next phase of Canadian growth as demand increases for satellite-enabled wildfire detection, situational awareness, and emergency-response intelligence.
