Google-Funded FireSat Satellites Launch to Combat Wildfires as Smoke Blankets North America

The first three operational satellites of the Google-backed FireSat constellation launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on July 7, 2026, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Designed to detect even small wildfires, the satellites will begin full operations after a three-month testing period, covering fire-prone regions in the United States, Australia, and Europe at least twice daily. The constellation, managed by the nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance and built by Muon Space, is the first purpose-built for wildfire detection and has received over $15 million from Google and $26 million from the Bezos Earth Fund.