The inaugural satellite of the Google-backed FireSat constellation has successfully reached orbit over the weekend, marking the beginning of a new era in wildfire detection and monitoring.

The FireSat constellation is designed to closely monitor wildfires, with its more than 50 satellites capable of imaging nearly the entire Earth’s surface every 20 minutes once fully operational. Initially, the constellation will comprise three satellites, which will revisit every point on the globe twice daily when operational in 2026.

The first satellite, built by Muon Space, was launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter 13 mission on March 14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The satellite is equipped with a sensor suite consisting of six-band multispectral infrared cameras, specifically tuned to detect wildfires from a distance.

Current methods for tracking wildfires rely on aerial photography using airplanes or low-resolution satellite imagery repurposed for the task. However, these methods have limitations, with aerial photography being expensive and infrequently updated, and low-resolution satellite imagery suffering from poor resolution and sensors not optimized for wildfire detection.

The FireSat constellation aims to address these limitations by producing high-resolution, five-meter imagery. When fully operational, the constellation will provide firefighters with near real-time updates on a fire’s location and behavior, enabling more effective response and management.

The FireSat constellation is a collaborative effort between Muon Space and the Earth Fire Alliance, a nonprofit organization supported by Google, Muon Space, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Minderoo Foundation.