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Mira Aerospace, the High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) subsidiary of Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powered SpaceTech company, and Telespazio Ibérica, part of Leonardo Space, announced the start of a wildfire-monitoring mission in Spain. The mission’s first flight saw the ApusNeo18 HAPS model take off from the Canarias Stratoport for HAPS & UAS, on the island of Fuerteventura, under the ISSEC project, fostered by the Fuerteventura Technology Park. Operating for 29 hours and reaching an altitude of approximately 16,000 feet, the flight marked two European HAPS records and delivered live, high-resolution video and imagery from electro-optical and infrared sensors.
With the flight successfully demonstrating the HAPS model’s potential to aid wildfire detection and management, a multi-flight campaign will follow throughout October.
The program will progressively increase operating altitudes towards the stratosphere and extend its flight range with the aim of reaching Gran Canaria.
Khaled Al Marzooqi, CEO of Mira Aerospace, Space42, said: “As a UAE-based company, setting HAPS flight records in Europe reflects both our advanced Earth observation capability, and the strong foundation of trust in place to deliver on critical international projects. The ongoing mission moves ApusNeo18 into sustained deployment, combining persistent monitoring with real-time data delivery to Telespazio Ibérica, offering a clearer view of evolving conditions. Anchored in Space42’s ambition to become the preferred partner for premium geospatial intelligence, the flights will complement existing satellite, aerial, and ground data to enhance emergency response.”
Carlos Fernández de la Peña, CEO of Telespazio Ibérica, said: “These two milestones show how HAPS technology is progressing from flight validation towards increasingly sustained and operational missions. This campaign strengthens Telespazio Ibérica’s role in developing new aerospace capabilities in Europe and opens up new possibilities for improving wildfire prevention, surveillance and emergency response.”
Advancing HAPS testing This mission builds on the ApusNeo18’s earlier testing for Telespazio Ibérica, the first of its kind under civilian operational authorization in Europe. Flights will take place based on requirements and remain subject to permits, weather, and airspace availability. The deployment comes at a crucial time for Spain’s 2026 wildfire season. According to Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, wildfires have affected over 265,635 hectares of forest land as of August 17, with 42 large forest fires recorded to date.
Monitoring wildfires from the stratosphere ApusNeo18 is a solar-powered HAPS, designed to operate at stratospheric altitudes while carrying Earth observation payloads. Positioned between conventional aviation and satellites, HAPS can provide persistent monitoring of a specific area while offering the flexibility to deploy sensors tailored to the needs of each mission. For wildfire response, this capability provides an additional live intelligence layer alongside existing satellite, aerial, and ground-based systems.
The mission contributes to the ISSEC program, part the Biodiversity project funded by regional funds provided by the Government of the Canary Islands, as well as by European NextGenerationEU funds, through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM), within Component 17 of the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR).