Overview
- The three FireSat orbiters launched from Vandenberg on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and reached low Earth orbit as the first operational tranche of the program.
- The satellites will undergo roughly three months of commissioning and calibration before project partners begin sending live data to early users later this year.
- Each satellite carries multispectral infrared sensors and onboard AI designed to spot small and low‑intensity smouldering fires that other satellites can miss.
- The effort is led by the nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance with Muon Space as the manufacturer and significant funding from Google.org (more than $15 million) and broader philanthropic backing reported at about $69 million, with CAL FIRE and selected international agencies set as early adopters.
- Initial coverage is limited to what three satellites can image, but the program aims to scale to a 50+ satellite constellation by about 2030 to enable global revisits near every 20 minutes and to improve frontline firefighting and scientific understanding of fire behavior.