Google-Backed FireSat Satellites Launch to Detect Wildfires as Smoke Blankets US and Canada

The first three operational satellites in the Google-backed FireSat program launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on July 7, 2026, as smoke from hundreds of wildfires spread across the United States and Canada. Managed by the nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance, the microsatellites will undergo three months of testing before providing active wildfire detection data, capable of spotting even small fires in the United States, Australia, and Europe. The constellation, designed by Muon Space, aims to cover every fire-prone region on Earth at least twice daily and has secured over $15 million from Google and $26 million from the Bezos Earth Fund.