NASA are developing a network of space-based sensors to quickly locate wildfires around the globe. The system, called FireSat, is made up of 200 thermal infrared imaging sensors on satellites and will represent the most complete monitoring coverage of wildfires ever from space.
“While many wildfires are reported soon after ignition, some are not, and delays in detection can lead to rapid escalation of a fire, and dramatic growth of the cost of suppression. The system we envision will work day and night for fires anywhere in the world,” said Robert Staehle, lead designer of FireSat at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The FireSat sensors would be able to detect fires that are at least 10 to 15 meters wide, within an average of 15 minutes from the time they begin. Within three minutes of detecting a fire from orbit, FireSat would notify emergency responders in the area of the fire, improving support for time-critical response decisions.
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Photo: NASA
