Wildfire-Fighting Satellite Launched with Google Support

FireSat Constellation Achieves Initial Orbit

The inaugural satellite belonging to the FireSat constellation, financially supported by Google, has successfully reached orbit this past weekend. This launch marks the beginning of a potentially transformative period for the detection and surveillance of wildfires.

Enhanced Wildfire Monitoring Capabilities

This constellation is specifically designed for continuous wildfire observation. Once fully deployed, the network of over 50 satellites will facilitate imaging of almost the entire Earth’s landmass every 20 minutes.

The initial operational stage will involve three satellites. Full global revisits will occur twice daily when the system becomes fully functional in 2026.

Satellite Construction and Launch Details

Muon Space was responsible for the construction of the first satellite. It was launched on March 14th via SpaceX’s Transporter 13 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The satellite is equipped with a sensor suite featuring six-band multispectral infrared cameras. These cameras are calibrated to identify wildfires from significant distances.

Addressing Limitations of Current Methods

Current wildfire tracking methods commonly rely on aerial photography from aircraft or the use of existing satellite imagery. However, aerial photography is costly, restricting update frequency.

Repurposed satellite imagery often lacks the necessary resolution and isn’t optimized for wildfire detection specifically.

FireSat’s Innovative Approach

The FireSat constellation is engineered to overcome these existing challenges. It will deliver imagery with a five-meter resolution.

With the complete constellation operational, firefighters will receive updates on fire location and progression in near real-time.

Collaborative Partnership

This project is a collaborative undertaking between Muon Space and the Earth Fire Alliance.

The Earth Fire Alliance is a nonprofit organization receiving support from Google, Muon Space, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Minderoo Foundation.