Israeli Trailblazers Show A Single Burning Tree Spotted From Space Before You Smell the Smoke
Oct 15, 2025
Moshe Shahar, founder of Terra Space Labs and a veteran in satellite engineering, discusses his groundbreaking project aimed at wildfire detection. He unveils how tiny, shoebox-sized satellites equipped with infrared cameras can detect a single burning tree from space, alerting firefighters in seconds. The potential to cover the entire planet every 30 minutes is extraordinary. With a $90 million investment seeking to prevent catastrophic damages, Shahar's innovation promises to revolutionize wildfire management and save lives.
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Multi-Color Infrared Detects Single-Tree Fires
- Infrared multi-color cameras detect temperature-dependent radiation differences to spot fire signatures from space.
- Terra Space Labs uses filters and imaging to distinguish fire radiation from other sources quickly.
Relay Alarms Via Local Ground Terminals
- Transmit alarm data from satellite to a nearby ground terminal and then to a command center immediately.
- Use a few regional ground terminals to route alerts to local fire dispatch in seconds.
Modular Payload Lowers Launch Barriers
- Their payload is designed to be modular and attachable to many satellite buses, lowering launch complexity.
- The design avoids needing a unique satellite per payload and enables spread across launches.