FUEGO: A dedicated Constellation Of Small Satellite to Detect and Monitor Forest Fires

The purpose of the FUEGO satellites program is to design and develop a spatial system that can detect and identify forest fires at the very least possible time. Research has shown that a system of low Earth orbit satellites (LEO) is the best solution for users’ demands. This directs us to the use of small-satellite structure’s service such as INTA-MINISAT, Particularly due to its relatively low technical complexity and cost. The system consists of a set of 12 Walker satellites system (constellation) with a 700-kilometer orbit altitude and an orbit inclination angle of 47.5 degree with a minimum time distance between repetitions in imaging as well as suitable power of spatial resolution. Its load is equipped with cameras capable of imaging in the mid-infrared band to identify fires in forests, complemented with cameras in the near-infrared (NIR), visible (VIS) and thermal infrared (TIR) ​​ bands to increase the resolution and identification of fires and to detect unrealistic warnings. The imaging geometry of this satellite is using the Pushbroom method. Using a controllable mirror, it can be maneuvered in the transverse direction of its path (Pitch) to increase the breadth of coverage.