Google-Backed FireSat Launches 3 Satellites to Spot 5-Meter Wildfires as Smoke Spreads Across North America
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Jul 17
Google-Backed FireSat Launches 3 Satellites to Spot 5-Meter Wildfires as Smoke Spreads Across North America
2 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Jul 17
Summary
Three operational FireSat satellites launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 on July 7, moving the wildfire-monitoring network into initial operations as smoke from hundreds of fires spread across Canada and the United States.
After a three-month test period, the satellites will start sending data to fire agencies this year, covering every fire-prone region at least twice daily across the United States, Australia and Europe.
Each satellite uses multispectral imaging to see through smoke and clouds and detect fires as small as 5 by 5 meters, a capability validated by a 2025 prototype that captured more than 1 million images.
Earth Fire Alliance manages the constellation, built by Muon Space, with more than $15 million from Google and a $26 million commitment from the Bezos Earth Fund.
Early users include agencies in California, Colorado, Australia and Portugal; the program aims for hourly global imagery by 2029 and every 20 minutes once more than 50 satellites are deployed in the early 2030s.
Billion-dollar satellites can now spot tiny wildfires. But can this data reach ground crews in time to make a difference?
When the philanthropic funding ends, who will pay to keep these critical fire-spotting satellites watching over our planet?
FireSat’s 50-Satellite Constellation: Transforming Global Wildfire Detection with Real-Time, Open Data by 2030
Overview
On July 7, 2026, the first three FireSat satellites were launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking a major leap in wildfire detection technology. This achievement was made possible by a strong collaboration between the Earth Fire Alliance, CAL FIRE, Muon Space, and Google Research, with Google.org providing over $15 million in support. By uniting tech companies, nonprofits, philanthropy, and the private sector under a single mission, FireSat enables fire agencies to detect new fires earlier, deploy resources more strategically, and ultimately reduce the devastating impacts of large-scale wildfires.