It would save so much precious time and firefighting resources to have early detection of fire possible from space in the future, particularly if Australia continues to see mega-fires burning across a huge portion of the landscape like we have this summer.
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It wouldn't be the first time the space sector has developed meaningful contributions to improve life on earth.
During the NASA Apollo missions, the pioneering technology invented to get man on the moon also delivered some incredible things to earth.
The space-age technology that was then used on earth included things like the computer microchip, which was designed from the integrated circuits used in the guidance computer; scratch-resistant lenses, originally used for astronaut helmet visors; home insulation, designed to protect spacecraft from radiation; smoke detectors, cordless tools, CAT scanners... the list goes on.
Who knows if those things would be here today if we didn't have the Apollo space missions.
Now, Australia has the chance to greatly improve the way it identifies, maps and responds to bushfires and we should make the investment.
The possibilities of having dedicated satellites to continually pass overhead updating with precise frequency spots of heat within the landscape, fuel loads and moisture content could transform how Australia manages it's increasingly severe fire seasons, according to ANU specialist Dr Marta Yebra.
This disastrous bushfire season has got plenty of people thinking about what could be possible in terms of utilising new technology to help fight fires, including Dr Yebra.
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She suggests shooting up a fleet of cube-sats, about 200 of them, which could hover over Australia focusing specifically on providing information about bushfires to fire authorities. The Australian Space Agency has recently been tasked with collaborating with CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meterology to "look at how space-related Earth observation resources can better support bushfire preparedness, response, and resilience in the future".
NSW Rural Fire Service senior fire behaviour analyst Laurence McCoy said his team is particularly keen to be able to access new technology and new research to help them undertake the mammoth and sometimes near-impossible task of predicting the spread of bushfires. Probably because this season more than any other has shown how unpredictable the fires can be.
We've seen the disastrous impact of fire on people, on homes and communities, on wildlife and the landscape. We should be investing in new technology, including space technology, to understand more about this new way of life we've been experiencing.
