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Google Launches FireSat: Satellites for Early Detection of Wildfires

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• In an effort to combat wildfires, Google Research is funding the creation of a satellite network capable of identifying fires as small as 5 x 5 meters.

Tech giant Google, through its division Google Research, announced the development of FireSat, an advanced satellite network designed to detect wildfires in their early stages anywhere in the world.

This project, developed in collaboration with wildfire-fighting experts, promises to be a revolutionary tool for authorities and firefighters, enabling a faster and more effective response to these natural disasters.

The FireSat satellite constellation, funded by Google with a $13 million investment, represents a qualitative leap in wildfire monitoring. Until now, satellite technology could only identify large fires, equivalent to a soccer field. FireSat, however, will detect fires as small as 5 x 5 meters, providing real-time data on their location, size, and intensity.

The significance of this technology lies in its ability to act during the first hours of a fire, a critical time for containment and extinguishing. The high-resolution satellite network will update images every 20 minutes, and thanks to artificial intelligence, it will compare Earth's points with previous records to identify potential flames.

FireSat's AI models have been trained with controlled fires to minimize false positives and maximize system accuracy. The company Muon Space, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Defense Fund, will be responsible for launching the first satellites into space, with the initial liftoff scheduled for early 2025.

Google has demonstrated its commitment to mitigating environmental disasters on multiple occasions. Tools like Google Maps already allow users to check the proximity of active fires, and the company has publicly shared significant advancements in flood identification using artificial intelligence.

With FireSat, Google not only strengthens its role in combating wildfires but also sets a new standard in global natural disaster prevention. The international community eagerly awaits the implementation of this technology, which could radically change how we respond to one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time.