What the US and Canada Can Expect from the Wildfire Smoke This Weekend

As wildfire smoke continues to affect air quality across the US and Canada, the Google-backed FireSat program successfully launched its first three operational satellites. Deployed via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on July 7, 2026, these microsatellites are managed by the Earth Fire Alliance. The constellation has reached initial operational capability and will be able to detect even small fires in the US, Australia, and Europe before the year ends.