Canada assigns contract to build new wildfire satellites

The Canadian Space Agency says it will spend $72 million to develop a constellation of new satellites tasked with monitoring active wildfires from space.

The project, WildFireSat, has been in development for years.

Experts have said the new satellites will give Canadian firefighters crucial information that they can’t get from existing services, which are geared more toward scientific research or weather monitoring.

For example, current satellites tend not to be in the right place to offer helpful data at around 5pm local time, which is the usual “peak burn” period for fires. Even the data those satellites do offer can take so long to reach fire managers that it loses some of its relevance.

With WildFireSat, federal agencies plan to collect data around the peak burn period as well as in the early morning, when fire agencies typically adjust their plans for the day ahead. The goal is to get the data into fire managers’ hands within roughly 30 minutes of it being collected.

According to the federal government, information gathered through WildFireSat will be used to characterize a fire’s intensity and rate of spread, two pieces of information useful to fire managers. Data gleaned from the new satellite system will also help to create more accurate air quality forecasts and measure carbon emissions from fires.

From 2023: From space, a new system will help Canadians fight wildfires

People working on WildFireSat have said the Northwest Territories is a heavy user of satellite information, in part due to the sheer size of the area that needs to be monitored for fires.

Late last week, the Canadian Space Agency moved forward the WildFireSat project by announcing a $72-million contract with Spire Global Canada – a subsidiary of US-based Spire Global – to develop the satellites the project will use.

The project’s estimated launch year remains 2029.

“WildFireSat will consist of seven microsatellites tailored to monitor active wildfires across Canada on a daily basis. This mission will provide essential data to fire managers and other responsible authorities,” the space agency stated.

“This data will enable them to track fire behaviour, identify high-risk wildfires, and make informed decisions to better protect Canadians, especially those in remote and northern communities.

“WildFireSat data will also be used in air quality forecasts, which will give Canadians information to help protect themselves from wildfire smoke.”

The Canadian government is so confident of the satellite program’s impact that it forecasts WildFireSat will “save the Canadian economy between $1 billion and $5 billion over its first five years of operations.”

“Detecting wildfires is one of the most impactful satellite capabilities, offering significant benefits for public safety, environmental health and the economy,” said Theresa Condor, Spire Global chief executive officer, in a separate press release.

“We’re proud to work with the Government of Canada, which is paving the way in developing a next-generation wildfire monitoring system to protect its citizens and communities.”

Spire will design and develop the satellite constellation for WildFireSat. As part of the contract, a separate company – OroraTech, which makes infrared camera technology used to detect fires – will develop the payloads deployed on the satellites.

Spire said it will expand its Canadian office in Cambridge, Ontario to add satellite manufacturing and test equipment, “enabling WildFireSat and future missions to be manufactured domestically in Canada.”

The companies said they are partnering with the Alberta-based Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation “to enable the participation of Indigenous businesses in the WildFireSat mission.”