Inside the launch of FireSat, a system to find wildfires earlier

The first satellite of a groundbreaking constellation for early wildfire detection and mitigation has hit the skies.

Here’s how the project came to be.

Wildfires are a global crisis, claiming more than 300,000 lives due to smoke exposure annually and causing billions of dollars in economic damage.

Nearly one-third of the world’s population faces moderate or severe food insecurity due to extreme weather, conflict and economic shocks.

This satellite is the first of more than 50 in a first-of-its-kind constellation designed to use AI to detect and track wildfires as small as a classroom.

Finding fires earlier and more accurately

While making substantial progress on AI-based wildfire detection, the team recognized the limits of current satellite imagery and began pursuing advances for the future of spotting fires.

The team considered various options for detection, including high-altitude drones, before settling on satellites.

Building (and testing) a new AI model

Company says, “We had to determine where to draw the line between what is a real fire versus things like sensor issues or misaligned pixels.”

Readying for launch

the first FireSat satellite had just arrived at the SpaceX launch site. Yesterday, members of the Google Research team watched as the rocket — and the satellite — hit the skies.