A Google-backed initiative aims to prevent raging fires by using satellites that can detect small fires before they get out of control.
The goal is to launch a constellation of satellites called FireSats into low Earth orbit. It’s a collaboration between Earth Fire Alliance, a newly formed nonprofit alliance, and Muon Space, a startup that designs and operates satellite networks. Google.org is funding the project, and Google’s research team is helping develop technology to spot wildfires and monitor their development from space.
“There’s a huge gap between the data we’re getting today and what we could get with better satellite coverage.”
Climate change is setting the stage for more severe wildfires as temperatures rise and droughts intensify in many parts of the world. That’s why emergency responders and scientists are looking for new tools to help protect communities from more severe fires.
Satellites already collect data used to warn people about large wildfires. The hope is that FireSat will provide more consistent, high-resolution data and spot fires faster than existing satellites or even people on the ground.
“There’s a huge gap between the data we’re getting today and what’s possible with better satellite coverage. So Google Research worked with a group of people, scientists and leaders in the fire community to develop a new satellite constellation. Arsdale Fire Fighters Union said at a press conference this week.
Fires are usually first spotted by people or aircraft, not satellites. Existing satellites that collect wildfire data may only appear a few times a day or detect fires only when they reach a certain size. This makes them more difficult to use for detecting small fires. If satellites were able to collect more granular data, satellites might be able to spot fires in remote areas before they reach more populated areas.
FireSat has more than 50 satellites dedicated to monitoring wildfires and is expected to check global wildfire activity every 20 minutes. It can also detect fires as small as 5 x 5 meters (the size of a classroom). That’s much smaller than earlier satellites, which were able to spot fires two to three acres in size (the size of two football fields), according to Google. To this end, the team behind FireSat developed customized sensors and algorithms to process the data using artificial intelligence. FireSat will be able to quickly compare images over time of any 5 x 5 meter area to identify fires and provide researchers with a global record of fire spread.
As part of the first phase of the mission, Muon Space plans to launch its first satellite in early 2025, followed by three additional spacecraft in 2026. The Earth Fire Alliance just launched publicly this year, although FireSat’s technology has been in development for the past five years.
“As a former firefighter, I can personally attest to the difference this will make for today’s firefighters on the scene,” said Kate Dargan Marquis, a former Cal Fire marshal and senior advisor to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Marquis, whose foundation also funds FireSat, told a news conference. “It’s a game changer, especially as wildfires become more extreme, more frequent and more dangerous for everyone, messages like this will save lives.”
