FireSat: Google working with wildfire authorities to release fire-detecting satellites

The first FireSat satellite out of 52 should be released in early 2025.

The situation with wildfires has become more dangerous in recent years. In 2023, wildfires around the world burned 12 million hectares, increasing the previous record by 24%, according to the World Recourses Institute.

With wildfires becoming more common and threatening, Google has partnered with the Moore Foundation, the Environmental Defense Fund, and American satellite company Muon Space to create a satellite constellation that would capture images of wildfires taking place around the world.

The companies plan to release first series of the FireSat satellites next year. These satellites that include custom sensors that will be able to detect fires, provide close up shots, and send updated images every 20 minutes.

This major upgrade in satellite imaging would make it much easier to track fires. Currently, even though images are of good quality, information doesn’t update fast enough to detect wildfires early enough before they get out of control.

Google’s collaboration with the Earth Fire Aliance, which provides data about fires happening globally, allows its AI tools to learn how to detect and track wildfires more quickly and accurately.

The images provided by the FireSat would be free of charge for fire agencies in order for them to discover where a fire is taking place, its trajectory, and its intensity.