The first FireSat satellite – designed specifically to detect wildfire using artificial intelligence (AI) – successfully launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-13 mission on March 14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellite represents the first of more than 50 planned for a revolutionary constellation that will dramatically improve early fire-detection capabilities worldwide.
Until now, many wildfire authorities have depended on satellite imagery that’s low-resolution or only updated a few times a day. According to Google Research, one of the partners on this project, FireSat’s full constellation will provide high-resolution imagery that’s updated globally every 20 minutes. It uses AI to detect fires as small as 5×5 meters: That’s 1/400th the size of what’s been detectable via current early-detection satellites. The existing satellite systems often can’t detect fires until they’ve grown to several acres in size. All of this will work together to help emergency responders catch wildfires before they become destructive.
The initiative comes at a time of more frequent and intense wildfires, both in the United States and globally. As of March 21, wildfires have burned 396,631 acres in the U.S. since January 1, 2025.
FireSat is housed under the nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance, with founding partners including Google Research, the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, and satellite manufacturer Muon Space. Funding for the constellation’s first satellites comes partially from Google.org, which has provided $13 million through the AI Collaborative: Wildfires initiative.
Beyond emergency response, FireSat will contribute to a global historical record of fire spread, and help the U.S. Forest Service and scientists better understand and model wildfire behavior — potentially saving lives, homes, and ecosystems while simultaneously addressing a key driver of climate change. Current goals have all 50 satellites launched by 2030, with three additional satellites set to launch next year.