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 into orbit on July 7, 2026, via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Designed to detect wildfires as small as a single tree, the constellation will cover fire-prone regions across the United States, Australia, and Europe at least twice daily after a three-month testing period. FireSat is the first satellite network purpose-built for wildfire detection, supported by over $15 million from Google and $26 million from the Bezos Earth Fund.