- Google-backed FireSat launched its first satellite to revolutionize wildfire detection, tracking fires as small as 16×16 feet. The satellite constellation will provide near-real-time data to first responders.
- FireSat’s network will update the entire planet every 20 minutes, significantly improving wildfire detection speed and emergency response.
- Google Research, Muon Space and the Earth Fire Alliance collaborated on the project, with $13 million in funding from Google.
Full Story
Wildfires burned nearly 270,000 acres in the U.S. in 2025, surpassing the 10-year average. Detecting fires early remains challenging, but FireSat, a Google-backed satellite project, aims to change that.
The first FireSat satellite launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-13 mission, introducing AI-driven, near real-time wildfire monitoring.
How does FireSat improve wildfire tracking?
Traditional wildfire tracking relies on low-resolution satellite imagery or costly aerial surveys, often delaying emergency response.
FireSat uses AI and infrared sensors to detect fires as small as 16 by 16 feet — about the size of a classroom — before they spread.
The system will analyze thermal signatures and compare them with past data. Then, AI will confirm fire activity faster and more accurately than current methods.
What impact will FireSat have on emergency response?
When fully operational in 2026, FireSat’s more than 50 satellites will update nearly the entire planet every 20 minutes.
The first three satellites will revisit locations twice daily, providing firefighters with high-resolution, AI-analyzed data to improve response times and contain fires before they grow.
Who is behind the project?
FireSat is a collaboration between Google Research, Muon Space, the Earth Fire Alliance, which is a nonprofit supported by Google.org, the Moore Foundation and other environmental groups.
Google invested $13 million through its AI Collaborative: Wildfires initiative to fund the project.
What’s next for FireSat?
More satellites will launch in the coming years, expanding coverage and improving detection speed. FireSat aims to transform wildfire monitoring by providing faster, more precise data.
