Google-backed satellites for wildfire detection launch as smoke chokes US, Canada
Summary
Three new satellites from the Google-backed FireSat program launched on July 7, 2026, to help detect wildfires in the US, Australia, and Europe. These satellites use special cameras to see small fires through smoke and clouds and will share data with fire agencies after testing ends.Key Facts
- The FireSat satellites were launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.
- FireSat is the first group of satellites made specifically to find wildfires, including very small ones other satellites might miss.
- These satellites were built by Muon Space and funded with more than $15 million from Google and $26 million from the Bezos Earth Fund.
- Each satellite can spot fires as small as about 16 by 16 feet, even through smoke and clouds.
- After a three-month testing period, the satellites will send wildfire data to fire agencies in places like California, Colorado, Australia, and Portugal.
- By 2029, FireSat hopes to update images hourly worldwide, and by the early 2030s, every 20 minutes with a full network of over 50 satellites.
- Google will use artificial intelligence (AI) to compare new FireSat images with past data to better detect small fires and predict wildfire risks.
- The satellites aim to help save money, reduce carbon emissions, and protect homes and land by detecting fires early.
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