U.S. Satellite Capabilities for Tracking Wildfires

NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites, which have provided critical wildfire observation data for years, are expected to cease operations by late 2026 or early 2027.

According to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on U.S. Satellite Capabilities for Tracking the Wildfire Life Cycle, this action is forcing a transition to newer systems at a moment when Congress is pushing for expanded and faster detection capabilities.

Multiple federal agencies currently operate overlapping satellite networks for wildfire observation: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operates geostationary and low-Earth orbit satellites, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) manages the Landsat program, and NASA develops research satellites for the same purpose.

NOAA's GOES-R Series satellites scan the Earth every 60 seconds at 500 to 2,000 meter resolution and detect smoke plumes and heat signatures in near real-time with data available within approximately one to three hours.