About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


1 [1] (September 10, 2026)

handle is hein.crs/govevfo0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con re &on JR sedrchS informing I ier I ive de a ~ in e 191 Updated September 10, 2026 U.S. Satellite Capabilities for Tracking the Wildfire Life Cycle Satellite capabilities support virtually every stage of the wildfire life cycle: characterizing the prefire environment (e.g., seasonal climate predictions, vegetation); detecting and monitoring wildfires and smoke; and assessing postfire hazards (e.g., debris flows, flash floods) and ecosystem recovery. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that certain satellites provide information about the location, duration, size, temperature, and power output of those fires that would otherwise be unavailable through ground-based sensors, aerial drones, or aircraft. These approaches may provide complementary data to satellites, particularly when satellite data are limited in spatial and/or temporal (i.e., the time between observations of the same area) resolution and given the money and time to develop and deploy new satellites. NOAA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contribute to satellite observations across the wildfire life cycle, including detecting and monitoring fires in near real- time (NRT; i.e., data available within about one to three hours). Some bills introduced in the 119th Congress seek to improve satellite observations with the aim of increasing U.S. resilience to the harnmful effects of wildfires (e.g., H.R. 527, H.R. 753, H.R. 5782/S. 91). This In Focus describes current and planned U.S. civil satellite observation systems that may contribute data relevant to the wildfire lifecycle. Sate te W dfire Apphcat ons Satellites can collect environmental information about fire weather and fuel (e.g., grasses, brush, timber) condition (e.g., live versus dead biomass, soil and biomass moisture content). These pre-wildfire observations, among others, guide predictions of the likelihood and intensity of wildfire outbreaks. Land managers and scientists can use post- wildfire satellite observations to assess wildfires' severity, extent, and impact. The assessments may inform efforts to improve safety, limit damage, support postfire hazard risk assessments, and monitor landscape recovery. Satellites also can be used to detect wildfires, generally in concert with existing wildfire detection techniques. Some satellites can make NRT observations to support early wildfire detection, which increases the likelihood of timely response. First responders depend on NRT observations to plan firefighting operations and to inform firefighters' situational awareness during the fire. To be useful for these purposes, satellites must provide data with the necessary frequency and spatial resolution to users on the ground. Data latency, the total time between data acquisition and public availability, may vary among satellite missions and may affect the use of observations for wildfire applications. Both geostationary orbit (GEO) and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites provide wildfire-related observations but do so at different spatial and temporal resolutions. GEO satellites remain over the same location on the Earth and provide continuous coverage of a large area but at a lower resolution relative to LEO satellites, due to their altitude. LEO satellites provide a more limited field of view, as they are closer to the Earth. Their proximity to the Earth, however, allows for relatively higher spatial resolution. LEO satellites complete several orbits per day; each orbit allows data collection for different locations and times of day, but observations at each location have a lower temporal resolution (less frequent observations). To achieve similar spatial or temporal coverage as a GEO satellite, multiple LEO satellites (i.e., a constellation) may be needed. Coupling LEO and GEO data may provide a more comprehensive approach to tracking the wildfire life cycle. NOAA GO Sateiltes NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)-R Series host the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), which produces a scan of the Earth every 60 seconds (s) with a spatial resolution of 500 to 2,000 meters (in). ABI's data help experts detect smoke plumes and heat signatures to identify and respond to fires in NRT. Monitoring smoke in NRT is useful in directing firefighting efforts and protecting public health. GOES-R Series satellites also host a lightning mapper (GLM) which collects data on the frequency, location, and extent of lightning, a common wildfire ignition source. NOAA anticipates its future GEO satellite mission, Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), will include a new imager (GXI) that is more advanced compared with ABI. GXI may detect wildfires a quarter of the size of those ABI can detect while providing data to first responders more quickly. NOAA aims to launch the first GeoXO satellite carrying GXI in 2034. In 2026, the Trump Administration discontinued the procurement of a GeoXO lightning mapper (LMX) for budgetary reasons. LMX would have been an improved version of GLM. For more information, see CRS Report R49026, NOAA 's Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Satellite Program and Issuesfor Congress. Sekacted U.S. LO Sateites NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), a fleet of three LEO satellites, provides global observations twice a day for short- and long-term weather forecasts. JPSS satellites host the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), which has a 375 m spatial resolution. At this resolution, VIIRS can detect small, low-temperature fires. VIIRS also has a Day-Night Band that enhances the detection of nighttime fires. VIIRS data are available in ultra real-time (URT; i.e., data available within minutes), with a data latency of about 50 s, a speed that rivals nonsatellite wildfire detection methods. NOAA plans to